Break Me
by Yinza
Summary: .Complete. Though she thought herself resigned to her fate, Aeris chooses at the last moment to change it. Taken captive rather than killed, can she manage to dissuade Sephiroth from his course? Or are some fates unchangeable?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Holy seemed so great, so distant, so utterly unfathomable... and yet here she knelt, calling out to it, to this magic so complex that it seemed almost to possess a consciousness of its own. And it was responding to her call, as if her tiny prayer held the strength to move it, as if one lonely Cetra had the power to save an entire planet.

_...a wisp of air, the cold kiss of steel so close to her face... astonished, anxious shouts..._

And she did. Holy promised to answer her prayer.

She opened her eyes to find Cloud looking back at her. His gaze was steady, but his mouth, slightly open, betrayed his uncertainty. His sword was lowered to the floor, seeming to drag him into a slump with its weight.

He had nearly killed her. She knew this. And she smiled. It was meant to reassure him, and to apologize for the inevitable.

But then his gaze leapt upwards, and she knew that the moment of her death had come. She had thought she was ready; it was her fate to die once she'd completed her duty, and she thought that she had accepted that. Face to face with it, suddenly she couldn't bear to let death sever her strengthening bonds to her newfound friends.

In that instant of selfishness, Aeris twisted quickly sideways to look up above her, and the blade of the Masamune grazed her leg, clanging into the floor. Its owner landed in a crouch beside her, fixing her with an emerald glare.

Sephiroth straightened, lifting his blade in the same fluid motion, intent on killing her with a second blow.

The Masamune arced downward, Cloud moved to block it, and Aeris cried out, "What does it matter? You're too late! You know it!"

Sephiroth's blade stopped a hair's breadth from meeting Cloud's, and he stared at her. Slowly, he backed away into the railing and began laughing softly to himself, almost as though he had forgotten anyone else was there.

Aeris's eyes, wide and anxious, remained fixed on him. She paid no attention to the long, narrow cut across her thigh or the matching rip in her dress that her blood slowly stained crimson.

_He didn't kill me_, she thought in astonishment, and she couldn't seem to get past that one realization. The moment she'd awaited and dreaded for so long, averted, just like that. She was in an afterwards she'd thought would only ever be imagined. Just like that.

Cloud crouched down beside her, whispering urgently, "Are you all right?"

Aeris nodded dumbly without looking at him.

He stood, holding out his hand to help her up, and finally she took notice of him and grasped the hand, letting him pull her to her feet. The others had made it up the steps by now, and they crowded onto the altar platform, trying to show bravery without stepping into range of the Masamune.

Abruptly, Sephiroth's laughter ceased. He turned to fix Aeris with his emerald eyes once more. "Perhaps I failed to prevent it, but I can still stop it," he said, his voice more than anything else helping her to snap back to the present. This was the man duty bid her stop.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked sharply, blind to his meaning but still sensing the danger in it.

Aeris held up a hand, urging him to be silent. "How do you expect to stop it? Or do you think it will respond to your call? You're no Cetra."

A smirk spread across Sephiroth's face. "Do you think that really matters? I will do what I please, and there is no one to stop me." The Masamune sliced through the air mere centimeters in front of their faces.

Only Cloud refused to step back. He raised his blade and took a step forward. "Really?" he asked, that edge still in his voice. "Stay and fight, Sephiroth. We'll end this here."

His anger wasn't enough, and everyone else knew it.

The tall swordsman laughed. "You are only a puppet. But, perhaps, a useful puppet. One that I cannot afford to kill--yet." In a flash he was beside her, before Aeris had time even to jump in startlement, one arm quickly encircling her waist. He leapt back from the group with a speed slowed only enough that they could perceive it. "I will, however, be taking this Cetra nuisance."

By the time she realized just what had happened, Sephiroth had already leapt off from the ground, and they were flying through the air, passing the curving crystalline staircase and alighting at its top step. Only then did she think to struggle, but his grip only tightened, and he scoffed. "Foolish girl. Save your strength for something less futile."

Aeris refused to comply, pounding her fists uselessly against his chest. "Let me go!" she shrieked.

"Why?" he asked simply.

"You don't have any use for me! What's the point of taking me away from them? I'm not a threat to you anymore!"

"So very nave," Sephiroth remarked. "You do not seem to understand. I _do_ have uses for you. Did you ever consider that I might desire a woman's company?"

She froze, her eyes widening in shock. Revulsion followed soon after, and she began struggling anew, pushing and twisting.

He only laughed, and she knew suddenly that he had been joking.

"You... you _bastard_," she growled angrily, striking him as hard as she could. She couldn't recall ever using the word before, but now it was the worst insult she could think of.

"You may be more amusing than I had thought." He released her roughly, throwing her off-balance. "Now, come. I have places to be."

Aeris regained her footing and instinctively darted for the stairs again. He caught her by the arm and jerked her backwards so hard he nearly dislocated her shoulder.

"Again you misunderstand. You must realize that you cannot escape from me. If you do not cooperate, I can simply carry you. It is your choice."

She straightened, whirling to face him. "Release me," she ordered, striving to keep any fear from her voice. It would not do to let her fear show. Certainly, he knew she was afraid of him--after he tried to kill her, how could she not be?--but she did not want to appear weak in front of her enemy. It was bad enough that her friends saw her that way.

Sephiroth studied her for a moment, as though actually considering her request. "Fine," he said finally, flatly. "Carrying you will prove faster in the end." Hesitating no longer, he threw her over his shoulder, ignored her startled and indignant yelp, and started off at an easy lope.

Looking up, she could see Cloud reach the top of the stairs, long paces ahead of the others. His eyes widened, and his gait quickened as he gave chase.

But more than his long legs, Sephiroth was inhumanly fast, and Cloud fell farther and farther behind. Aeris's face fell as she lost sight of him within minutes of leaving the hidden stair.

For a moment, she was silent, the severity of her predicament just beginning to sink in. Captive to Sephiroth. What did that even mean? He was a man who either killed or manipulated, and she couldn't understand what use he could have for her. He certainly didn't need a hostage to entice Cloud to follow, and he should have known nothing would make her call off Holy. Why then? Did he even know himself?

Whatever his reasons, she was on her own to deal with his decision. So far he'd at least shown himself willing to converse with her, maybe even consider her words. She wasn't simply baggage to him.

"Must you carry me like this?" she asked of her captor, trying to twist and get her head up to peer around him. Baggage or no, she was certainly being carried like it, and it wasn't exactly pleasant to be flung across his shoulder, staring at his backside.

"Stop squirming," he said.

"I would if you'd carry me like a woman instead of a sack of potatoes," she retorted.

In an instant, he'd drawn her back down from his shoulder, holding her against his chest with her legs draped over one arm. His grip now was actually gentle.

She blinked rapidly, staring at him for a long moment. His eyes seemed more blue than she remembered, with a slight tilt that made them seem vaguely Wutain, and they held none of their earlier harshness, just calm impenetrability. She realized with a start just how close this new position brought her face to his, but she could not seem to tear her eyes away from his.

"This position gives you a better view, doesn't it, Cetra," Sephiroth stated dryly, breaking her trance.

Aeris looked away quickly, frowning and flushing in embarrassment. In retrospect, she might have worded that request better. She'd forgotten how handsome he was, when stripped of all that murderous intent. She had made a fool of herself, staring at him like that. _At least_, she thought humorlessly, _his personality is bad enough to more than make up for it. If he weren't so contemptible, I'd be in a lot of trouble._

He picked up his pace again, making her realize that he'd slowed for those few moments. He made it all seem so effortless, so smooth and seamless, but the icy scenery flew past so quickly that she knew the speed with which he moved had to be incredible. And yet he hardly breathed any heavier than before. The Forgotten Capital was already far behind them.

_I'm in a lot of trouble anyway_, she concluded, stealing another glance at his face. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

"What does he want with her?" Cloud demanded of no one in particular. He was pacing back and forth within the narrow confines of the shell house while his companions watched him anxiously. Most of them sat tensely on the beds, while Vincent leaned against the wall, and Cait Sith sat on the floor.

"He can't mean to kill her," said Tifa. "If he wanted her dead, he'd have killed her already, or at least tried harder at it."

Cloud glanced at her, his blue eyes smoldering. His anger was not directed at her, but she flinched anyway. "Then why did he take her?" he persisted.

"I don't know..."

"Mebbe he's usin' her as a hostage," Barret suggested.

The blond shook his head. "He hasn't asked for anything from us." He stopped pacing abruptly. "He expects us to follow him. He _wants_ us to follow him."

"We would have anyway," Tifa said with a frown.

"Then the question becomes, why would he let us know he wanted it?" Nanaki offered quietly.

"You guys are all thinking too hard about this," Yuffie spoke up, not sitting up from where she lay sprawled across one of the beds, kicking her legs. "I bet he just did it to screw with our heads."

"I don't think it's really that simple," Cloud said in frustration.

"There is what he said..." Nanaki began slowly, glancing to Cloud, "about Cloud being a puppet."

Tifa looked at him with an expression not unlike shock, as if she hadn't expected anyone to mention that. "What are you saying?"

The feline let out a sigh, looking down as though this were too unpleasant a thing to say. "Sephiroth expects to be able to use him again," he said quietly.

"And he is making doubly certain all the pieces will arrive in time," Vincent added coolly.

"Use him..." Tifa repeated uneasily.

"Like at the Temple," Cait Sith stated, voicing what had come to all of their minds.

Cloud had stood motionless until those four words, but now he shook his head and slowly stepped backwards until he found a wall. He leaned against it wearily, all the ferocity gone out of him, replaced by uncertainty. "Am I going insane?" he wondered aloud. "Guys, do you think...? I don't know..."

"Shit, get a hold of yourself, Strife," Cid snapped at him. "Even if ya _are_ off your rocker, we can't leave Aeris with that crazy son of a bitch."

"I don't know," Cloud repeated, shaking his head again.

Tifa got up, walking over to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Cloud. We need you with us. We'll watch out for you, all right?"

He looked up at her helplessly. "But what if I try to hurt you? Maybe... maybe I should just quit now, while I can."

"But that could be exactly what Sephiroth is waiting for. If you go off on your own... What happens if he takes control of you, and we're not around to help you snap out of it? Besides, you're our leader."

He nodded slowly. "You're right, Tifa..." He straightened, pulling himself away from the wall and back to his feet. "I can't quit now."

"Ain't no getting' offa this train we on," Barret put in.

"Sure, whatever," Yuffie said dismissively, as though bored by the discussion. "Are we done convincing each other? Can I get some sleep now?"

Cloud frowned. "Sephiroth's already got too much of a head start on us..."

Tifa turned, gesturing to the other members of the group. "We're all tired, Cloud. Maybe you aren't, but we haven't caught more than a few hours' sleep in two days. We won't get very far if we're practically dead on our feet."

He sighed. "I guess not. But we're heading out first thing in the morning."

"You know, of course," Vincent said quietly, "that if he wants us to follow him, he will allow for a confrontation."

The others looked at him silently for a moment.

"And that's when we'll save Aeris and take out Sephiroth," Cloud stated.

"Do you really think we can?" Yuffie said anxiously. "I mean... uh..."

No one took the opportunity to take a shot at her for the break in her usual overconfidence. Most were too much in agreement. The others were too tired to bother.

"Someone's got to stop him," Cloud replied. "If not us, then who? I don't know what Aeris was trying to do... She told Sephiroth he was too late, but what did she mean?"

"Maybe there's an opposite to Meteor," Cait Sith suggested. "And, of course, Aeris _is_ an Ancient. She knew about the Black Materia, so maybe..."

"...there's a White Materia?" Yuffie finished, perking up with this particular change in topic. "Yeah, she always wears that neat-lookin' materia in her hair. Maybe that's it."

Tifa brightened. "Does that mean that whatever she did will stop Sephiroth?"

"More likely it will stop Meteor," Nanaki said. "If he summons it, that is."

"I don't get it," Barret stated.

"Aeris did something that might help us out in a big way, and Sephiroth's really pissed at her for it," Cid explained.

"Now let's all get some sleep," said Tifa. "We certainly need it for what's ahead."

There was a bit of grumbling and arguing as the group tried to figure out who would sleep where, with three beds and seven people, not counting Cait Sith. Somehow or another they worked it out, a few grudgingly sharing beds or taking the floor.

It did not take them long to fall asleep, even with all the things to weigh on their minds. Soon the only audible sounds were those of slow breathing, quiet snoring, and the lone whistle of the wind outside.

* * *

Sephiroth did not stop until they reached a cave deep beneath the mountains. Aeris felt certain that with the ground he had covered in those long hours, it would take Cloud and the others days to catch up.

During the rapid trip, she had developed a certain respect for his strength. Whenever they came across one of the cavern's numerous rock faces, he had wordlessly slung her back over his shoulder and climbed with only one hand to aid him. And for all his insane pace, he had never slowed or paused to give himself rest. Not until now, and even now she felt he could have kept on had he wanted to.

For her part, Aeris was exhausted. She had scarcely rested since before they'd visited the Temple, sacrificing any opportunities to sleep afterwards in order to reach the Forgotten City ahead of Cloud and the others.

"I hope you mean to rest here," she said wearily, feeling dully grateful when Sephiroth lowered her feet to the floor and turned away from her to study the cave.

He turned back to face her, raising an eyebrow. "I fail to see why you are tired. You've done nothing."

"Right. I haven't even slept in... I can't remember how long. Days."

He shrugged, not seeing the significance of this. "Neither have I."

She sat on the floor and looked up at him. "Well, I'm sorry if I'm not as tireless as the Great Sephiroth," she said flatly.

Sephiroth scoffed. "You act so weak for a Cetra."

"How would you even know?" Aeris asked. "You're not a Cetra, and I'm the only one you could have ever known."

"Perhaps," he said. "But Mother knew Cetra, and they were far stronger than you."

"Am I disappointing you?"

He shrugged. "You are only a half-breed. I suppose I cannot expect too much of you."

"Half?" she repeated, straightening eagerly in spite of herself.

He noticed her anticipation, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you do not know of your father? You should not expect me to tell you." He sat down cross-legged against a rock wall some distance in front of her, laying the Masamune down on the floor before him.

"So you are resting here?" she concluded.

"I am," he confirmed. "But I will not allow you to get any sleep."

"What... do you mean by that?" Aeris asked warily.

"Exactly that."

She relaxed, glad that he really hadn't meant his words earlier.

Sephiroth snorted at her relief. "Did you honestly think I would want a woman like you?"

"How should I know?" she retorted.

He glanced at her. "I have no intention of taking you. It would scarcely do you enough harm now."

"If you want revenge for what I did, why don't you just kill me?" she asked. "You were certainly going to before."

"That was not in revenge," Sephiroth stated. "It was to prevent your action. But now I have decided that death is not sufficient punishment for you."

"Then what are you going to do to me?"

"Break you."

Aeris blinked. "What?"

"You are strong; I will admit to that. Your strength is of a different kind from mine. It would give me a great deal of pleasure to see you far beyond tears or begging for mercy, but rather completely indifferent as to whether you lived or died."

"You couldn't," she breathed. "No one can crush hope."

"And that is why I must. A god must be omnipotent."

"And cruel?"

Sephiroth smirked. "Yes. And cruel."

"Why?" she asked softly.

"How else is he to gain loyalty?"

"Through trust."

He seemed to find this a laughable answer. "Trust is far too flimsy a basis for anything."

Aeris met his gaze with defiance. "What if you can't break me?"

His eyes were emerald arrogance. "I will."

"But what if you can't?"

"I _will_," he repeated.

She fell silent. Her gaze dropped to her leg, where the long, thin wound from the Masamune had begun to scab over across her thigh. It was not very deep or very painful, so she had mostly ignored it until now. She cast a tiny healing spell to close the wound.

"Come here," Sephiroth ordered abruptly.

She looked up. "Why?"

"Never mind the why, come."

"No."

He lifted the Masamune, setting its edge against her neck. "It would be better for you if you did not disobey me."

"You wouldn't kill me," she stated, trying to ignore the cold caress of metal against her sensitive throat.

"Nonfatal wounds can still be incredibly painful, and it would interest me to see how many you could sustain without losing consciousness."

Aeris paled. "Well, aren't you sadistic," she murmured. "Lower your sword, and I'll move."

He lowered the Masamune to the floor and watched as she stood and walked over to him, trying to keep her steps steady. She stopped before him.

"Sit," he ordered.

She sat. She was uncomfortably aware of how close she was to him, of the blade that lay between them, and of the look of careful appraisal in his blue-green eyes.

Sephiroth reached out, grasped her by the shoulders, and turned her around as he pulled her back against him. She let out a little gasp, finding herself in his lap with her feet lying awkwardly just in front of the Masamune, and struggled vainly against his grasp. He only held her more firmly, one arm across her shoulders and the other at her waist. Realizing how pointless it was to resist, she lay still, waiting tensely.

The swordsman did not move, just held her. He did not even speak for several minutes. Finally he whispered contemptuously in her ear, "If you can sleep in _my_ arms, you are more trusting than I thought."

Aeris twisted to meet his gaze angrily, but quickly looked away when she found his face inches from her own. "Is this how you're going to keep me awake?" she asked.

"Yes. And it is also quite effective at keeping you from making any foolish attempt at escape."

"And how exactly are _you_ going to sleep like this?"

Sephiroth snorted. "_I_ am quite comfortable. And though my grip may loosen when I am asleep, I assure you that the slightest move from you will wake me. I can also assure that every person who has accidentally woken me and been too close has suffered some unfortunate injuries. I would advise against it."

She shifted nervously, but something made her frown in confusion. "Why?"

"Do you _want_ me to break your neck?" he asked.

"No, I mean... why would you?"

"I dislike being disturbed."

That was an obvious lie, and she wondered why he bothered. If it was instinct that made him lash out, why wouldn't he say so? She left the thought for later though, and instead queried, "Where are we anyway?"

"Corral Valley Cave," he answered curtly.

She did not recognize the name, but she hesitated to inquire further. He intended to keep her up this night, did he? What truly galled her was the fact that she was tired enough she might actually be able to fall asleep in his arms.

He probably knew that, too. He probably expected to find her asleep when he woke. And he knew how she would feel if she succumbed to sleep, and that if she did not, she would grow even more tired than before. There was no real way to win this little game he'd set before her. The only thing she could manage was to delay his sleep in turn.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"North."

"North to where?"

"The crater."

Aeris's eyes widened. "Northern Crater... The Planet's wound. With all the energy there..."

"It is good that you understand, Cetra."

"My name is Aeris," she told him.

"I know."

"Then why do you keep calling me 'Cetra'?"

Sephiroth spoke in her ear again. "Would you rather I called you by your name, Aeris?"

She shuddered. Damn him for being able to control his voice like that. Damn him for making her name sound so sensuous. "You will address me as Miss Gainsborough," she said as firmly as she could, unable to keep a slight waver from her voice.

He chuckled. "Miss Gainsborough, is it? That hardly suits you."

"What do you mean, _Mister_ Sephiroth?" she asked. "Or do you have some surname I don't know about?"

"No. I have no surname." His voice had suddenly become very quiet and very calm, but with a dangerous undertone. Had she actually managed to hit a sore spot?

"Oh," she said simply. She fell silent for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak again.

Sephiroth's right hand moved to clamp across her mouth, silencing her. "I know what you are trying to do. Shut up."

Aeris mumbled halfheartedly into his hand, then complied. After some time, he removed the hand, again placing his arm across her shoulders. She said nothing; his voice had held a warning, and she was not brave enough to push him any further.

She wanted to close her eyes. She wanted to fall asleep. Why did he have to be so warm? He was asleep now, she knew, and his embrace felt almost gentle. _Damn him_, she thought vehemently. Why couldn't he be repulsive? Why couldn't he have tied her up painfully, or thrown her into some corner and simply blocked her path, or... anything but _this_ kind of torture.

No, she would not fall asleep in his arms. Aeris tried to turn her thoughts to the Temple, where she had watched him kill Tseng. She tried to think of the madness in his eyes as the Masamune had sought her blood. _That_ was the man who held her close now.

But somehow, all she saw was that moment in the room with the murals when he had sat slumped and forlorn against a wall, his eyes downcast and his voice uncertain.

She closed her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So Break Me is a fanfic that I wrote back in high school, six or seven years ago now. Unlike Fallen, my other big venture, I knew where Break Me was going from the start. I just woke up absurdly early one morning with the idea in my head and scribbled down the first paragraphs of an opening scene and the roughest of outlines. I even knew the title. It's a lot more structured than Fallen, and after I finished it I knew that I wanted to go through and do some serious editing before I posted it anywhere besides my own hosting. It sat around for a couple years on my computer, and only in the past year or so did I finally get around to taking the hatchet to it. Most parts survived more or less unchanged (this first chapter is one of those), but a few scenes got seriously rewritten, and a few were deleted entirely. It's not perfect by any means, but I do think it's worth sharing.

New chapters will be posted on my site on Wednesdays, here on Thursdays.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Cloud woke with a start from a nightmare that fled with the opening of his eyes. He blinked slowly, focusing on the room he was in and the soft sounds that filled it. Barret's snoring was, as usual, the loudest, though Cid's was not far behind. Yuffie was tossing and turning in her bed, and Tifa mumbled whenever the girl bumped into her.

Getting up from the floor, he shuffled outside, blinking blearily when he noticed Vincent just outside the doorway. It took him a moment to comprehend that Vincent must have left the room and come out here for solitude.

Grunting softly in acknowledgment, he slouched against the wall on the opposite side of the entryway and stared out at the city. He wanted to go after Sephiroth _now_. He wanted to get Aeris back. Gods, he was such an idiot, to let her get taken like that, and now... Now he wasn't even sure he'd be able to save her and redeem himself.

He glanced at his silent companion, then looked away. "...you're probably not the one I should be talking to about this, but..."

"You had a nightmare?" Vincent asked coolly.

"Yeah, I guess..." Cloud paused. "Not so much what I was worried about."

The other man waited.

"I almost killed her, Vincent. Just like Sephiroth almost killed her. You can't say there's nothing wrong with that."

"Sephiroth manipulated you, as before."

"I know, I know... That just makes it worse; I can't control it. What the hell am I supposed to do about it?"

"For one thing, doubting yourself will not help," Vincent replied, a bit dryly.

Cloud eyed him dubiously. "What do you mean?"

"If you are unsure of yourself, it will only give Sephiroth more power over you."

He frowned. "Be sure of myself. Easier said than done..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Talk to Tifa. It would do you good."

"Tifa...?" Cloud asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Vincent glanced at him. "You are closer to her than to anyone else," he clarified, his matter-of-fact tone unsuited to the words.

The blond broke his gaze, not interested in talking about Tifa with anyone, much less Vincent, and sighed. "Do you think Aeris is okay? I mean, Tifa's probably right about him not killing her, but who knows what else that bastard might do to her?"

"We will see."

"'We will see'?" he echoed, a bit angrily. "I don't understand how you can be so calm about everything. Don't you care?"

"I hardly know her, and how can one such as me care about anyone anyway?"

"Oh, that's right... you don't have emotions," Cloud replied with a tired sarcasm. "Sorry, forgot."

The former Turk studied him, raising an eyebrow. "You should get some sleep."

The blond hesitated. "...yeah, I guess you're right." He pushed away from the wall with effort and turned for the doorway.

"She is still alive, I'm sure," Vincent told him softly. "You have not failed her yet."

Cloud paused, nodded in acknowledgment of Vincent's words without looking at him, and went back inside. The floor was cool, hard, and unwelcoming. Sleep fluttered elusively, but his thoughts and anxieties were persistent, never leaving him be even for an instant. He slept fitfully, and it seemed to him that each time he woke, he felt more tired than before.

* * *

There were times when Yuffie seriously regretted ever joining up with Cloud and the rest of the freak show. This was one of them.

Soon after leaving the beautiful-yet-creepy City of the Ancients, the group had stumbled upon yet another reason why travellers rarely came this way: Corral Valley had some absolutely wonderful cliffs. And, of course, being the most experienced climbers of the crew, Yuffie and Tifa had been granted the privilege of carrying Cait Sith up with them.

Yuffie should have just kept her mouth shut when Cloud asked. Granted, the cliffs weren't particularly _difficult_ ones to climb, but all the same, she'd rather not be lugging around a giant stuffed moogle. Who would? She was pretty sure they looked too ridiculous for words, and she really, really envied Nanaki right now. Sure, having grown up in Cosmo Canyon, he could make climbing look entirely effortless. Especially with those claws and without any kind of burden. Quadrupeds couldn't really carry much of anything, now could they? Ah, to be a quadruped.

She could have hit herself. What the hell was she thinking? It was the cold, making her mind go all whacky. That had to be it. Actually, considering... Nanaki had some nice, thick fur... He was probably perfectly warm.

_Oh, enough about mangy old Red!_ Yuffie cried mentally.

She glanced around her at her other companions, some of them climbing above her, others below. Cloud hadn't looked like he'd gotten any sleep at all. She wouldn't put it past him to have been up worrying all night. The guy was too uptight about everything. Then again, being the leader of _this_ gang, who could blame him?

Tifa had obviously slept better, but she couldn't hide her worry. So much for that thought about her and Aeris being rivals; it looked like they were pretty good friends after all. Still, whatever was going on between Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris had the young ninja pretty damn confused.

Barret was the farthest down, and having the most trouble, being too heavy for the smaller hand- and footholds and, well, only having one hand to work with anyway. Cid was down there trying to help him out and obviously very frustrated. There was a lot of cursing drifting up to her ears. She had to wonder what kind of influence Cid's language was having on her. And she had thought Barret was bad! Now Cid, he had a _really_ colorful vocabulary.

And then there was Vincent, who moved competently but not swiftly up the cliff. She didn't get him at all, and she thought he was kinda creepy. Most of the time, he wouldn't look at you when you talked, and that was really annoying. But then, when he did look at you, you really wished he wouldn't. His gaze was way too penetrating, like he could see your soul or something scary like that.

A slight shift in the rock she had placed her foot upon made Yuffie snap her attention back to what she was doing and quickly find another foothold, muttering under her breath.

Finally, they all reached the top of the cliff and sat resting for a moment. Cloud didn't let them have much time, though. He was anxious to be going, so off they went, keeping their protests to themselves. And some twenty minutes later, they encountered another cliff, although not as high or quite as vertical. The members of the group were silent, looking up at it with distaste and trying to resign themselves to climbing it.

"Gawd, why does the valley have to be so sudden?" Yuffie whined. "Like someone took a knife to the Planet."

The others cast her strange looks, as though wondering what _she_ was complaining about, or what she was even talking about, in Barret's case.

"What?" she asked. "Look, I don't even know the land, an' I can see that Corral Valley's deep. Like a ravine, sorta. We get many more o' these cliffs, and it'll slow us down. And I _really_ don't want to have to carry that stupid toy moogle up all of them."

That, and, as much as she tried not to show it herself, she really did want to rescue Aeris. Sephiroth kind of scared her, but the thought of what he might have already done to Aeris scared her more. And Aeris was nice. She didn't deserve it. Yuffie wondered if the others would make much of a fuss if _she_ had been the one taken instead of the Cetra. But then, they had rescued her from Corneo that one time... not that she couldn't have gotten out of it herself.

Cait Sith was crying out something in kittenish protest, but no one paid him much mind.

"She has a point," Nanaki remarked. "If we want to catch up to Sephiroth, it will not help to have our, ah... less capable climbers slow us down."

Yuffie looked at him incredulously. He was backing _her_ up? She quickly glanced up at the sky. No Meteor. The Planet wasn't ending yet.

"So, what?" Cid asked, taking a long drag on his ever-present cigarette. "You think we should split up?"

"I guess it would make sense, if we wanted to move faster and find Aeris..." Tifa said.

Cloud nodded slightly. "Right... Me, Tifa, Nanaki, and Yuffie will go on ahead. The rest of you guys go along at your own pace. We'll meet up at Snow Village, if you guys don't catch up before then."

_Yes!_ Yuffie rejoiced inwardly, wondering at her luck; he could have left her with the slowpokes instead of Vincent. _No more moogle!_ She couldn't help but grin.

"All right," Cid replied. "Go kick Sephiroth's ass for us."

Cloud scratched his head in a familiar gesture, one of the few that made him look boyish. Normally he was so weighed down with being a leader and all that he looked old enough to have kids of his own. "Right," he said, and Yuffie, Nanaki, and Tifa followed him up the cliff face, moving twice as swiftly now than before.

As it turned out, they had scarcely climbed the start of Corral Valley's cliffs, and by the time they seemed to have passed them all, only Nanaki still had any energy left. They walked on for a while until they found a suitable place to stop, and then they dropped to the stone floor in exhaustion. Yuffie remained awake long enough to hear Cloud say they'd rest there for a few hours before moving on. Then she lay back and dropped off to sleep.

* * *

Sephiroth awoke to find Aeris asleep in his arms, and he sat motionless, listening to the slow, relaxed sounds of her breathing. He would not do this again, he decided. It was torture for the both of them. But at least it had made him aware of a weakness; he found himself enjoying the press of her body against his. This kind of pleasure could not be tolerated.

So why did he delay in waking her?

_You should have killed her anyway_, his mother snapped. She had not been pleased with his choice, and her anger had been buzzing in his head ever since. _She is still a danger to us, no matter what she says._

_This weak little thing?_ he mused. _She has already done all she can. She is useless now._

_Then why let her live?_

_I want her to suffer. I want her to beg for death and then not even care when I choose to give it to her._

_Is that all?_

_What are you implying, Mother? That I have some desire for this girl? How absurd._

_Is it?_ she asked.

He chose not to reply. "Aeris," he said aloud. "Wake up."

"Five more minutes," she murmured sleepily.

Sephiroth blinked. Five more minutes? "Aeris," he repeated.

She started, finally remembering who she was with. "Ah! I'm up."

He let go of her. "Get up."

Aeris shifted uncertainly, then carefully got to her feet. Her next action was to whirl and kick him as hard as she could.

He looked at her blankly, then laughed. "Do you honestly think you can hurt me?"

"No," she answered. "But I want to, and that's the best I can do."

"And here I thought you were kind and non-violent," he remarked as he stood and retrieved his Masamune.

"To people who don't try to kill me or kidnap me," she retorted.

Sephiroth scoffed. "Well, come on. I won't carry you today if you can keep up." He turned, striding off. His pace was easy, but she practically had to run to match it. Unless she had incredible endurance, she would soon tire and lag behind.

"What about breakfast?" she asked.

He glanced at her. Had she no sense of time? "In the morning, perhaps."

Aeris blinked. "What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock. In the evening."

She fell silent, and time passed uneventfully for a stretch of ten minutes. Then she somehow managed to trip over a stone and stumbled into him with a yelp.

"Watch where you're going," he snapped, shoving her away.

"How?" she demanded, recovering her balance. "I can't see."

Among other things, Sephiroth had always been able to see better than anyone else. The Mako in his body enhanced all of his abilities so that as long as there was some light, no matter how little, he could see. With her, it was no different; she was comparatively blind. Actually, looking around, he was surprised that she had not tripped sooner.

Deciding that it would be more annoying to have her bumping into him all the time, he sighed and cast a variation of a fire spell to light the cavern for her.

"Thank you," Aeris said, sounding like she meant it.

Sephiroth glanced at her in mild astonishment. She was certainly a strange creature. She had done nothing but defy and pester him, and here she had sincerely _thanked_ him.

_Pay her words no mind_, his mother told him. _She may try to earn your favor._

_What for? She hates me._

_So she can sway you, stop you. You cannot let her have any control over you._

_I am not a fool_, he stated indignantly.

_Let us hope this remains true._

"How much longer before we get out of this cave?" Aeris asked. It was not impatience in her voice, but simple curiosity.

"Not long," he replied.

They were very close to the end indeed. Soon he let the fire spell die out, and distant moonlight illuminated the cave. He slipped through a narrow passage in the rock, and at the far end of the cavern lay the rough exit, seeming to glow a pale blue.

Aeris, who had been lagging farther and farther behind, perked up when she saw the light, and, quickened her pace, managed to catch up with Sephiroth just as he stepped outside.

Snow fields stretched out before them, the next distant mountain range the only indication that they had any end at all. The snow practically glowed, seeming to give off a light of its own in the night.

Sephiroth kept walking without a pause, and Aeris, who had stopped to admire the view, scurried after him. The snow was easily a foot deep in places, and it slowed the Cetra considerably. He glanced back over his shoulder to find her carefully following along in his footprints.

"Hurry up," he ordered.

"I'll trip if I hurry!" she called back. "I don't want to fall in the snow."

"Do I have to carry you then?"

She stumbled at his question, then picked up her pace, practically running to catch up to him. She nearly fell twice along the way, but regained her balance both times. She hurried along just behind him, still preferring to follow in his trail, though she had no time to be exact about where she placed her feet.

A wind rose once they were some distance from the mountain, picking up the snow and hurling it against them. Aeris impressed him by remaining silent and keeping pace, though she was obviously tired and freezing. She could not keep this up much longer, he thought.

Hardly ten minutes passed before she fell, and Sephiroth did not move to help her. He kept walking. He heard her struggling for a moment, and then she was on her feet, her footfalls uneven and awkward.

"I c-can't keep this p-pace up, and you kn-now it," she said, teeth chattering. "Did you l-like carrying me that m-much?"

"I will not change my travelling patterns just for you, Cetra."

She tripped again and fell with a cry. He heard nothing more from her, and he stopped to look back. She lay in the snow where she had fallen, face turned aside, shivering violently.

"Get up," he commanded.

"I'm c-cold," she complained in a whisper. "T-too c-cold..."

"Remove your clothes," he said, his annoyance not apparent in his voice.

She pushed herself up on her forearms and looked at him in distant horror. "What?"

"Remove your clothes," he repeated.

"_W-why_?" she demanded, stumbling to her feet and looking ready to bolt.

Sephiroth regarded her without sympathy. "If you think it is cold now, wait until you are naked in this climate. Then you will wish you had kept your mouth shut. Now take them off."

She took a step away from him, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. "No."

His tone was flat, and his expression now showed his impatience. "If you thought I would be kind to you, you are a fool. I have no desire to touch you, and you may keep your undergarments, if that will make you cooperate."

Aeris gaped at him. "D-do you want me t-to freeze to death?"

"You won't," he stated. "But you may come close."

Her eyes narrowed. "You'd like th-that, wouldn't you?" she said flatly.

"Yes," he replied, meeting her glare coolly. "Now quit stalling and remove your dress before I am forced to do it for you."

He expected her to move hurriedly in fear or demand that he look away. She did neither. She kept her eyes on his face and took her time about it, knowing somehow that while it would annoy him immensely, he would not snap at her for wasting his time here when she was following his orders.

The short red jacket went first, dropping into the snow and leaving her shoulders bare. Her fingers went to the buttons of her dress, fumbling only on a few and slowly working their way down the front until she could shrug out of it. The dress, too, fell to the snow, leaving her in her bra and underwear, with the pair of large brown boots on her feet looking utterly ridiculous. Her face was red, but it had already been red from the cold, so that was no indication of embarrassment.

She had a nice figure, he thought. Not ample, like her companion Tifa, but her curves were softer and certainly more pleasing to his eyes. She was slender, but her narrow waist curved into wide hips that nicely balanced out her shoulders and bosom.

"Well?" Aeris demanded, folding shivering arms over her breasts in an attempt to retain some warmth.

Sephiroth had not realized that he had been staring. "Come on," he said, turning to go and mentally berating himself for letting her see.

"Can I k-keep my clothes, or m-must I leave th-them here?" she asked. He could not detect any sort of emotion in her voice beyond her stuttering, an impressive accomplishment.

"Leave them," he replied. "And take off those boots."

He heard a pair of thuds as the boots fell into the snow, and then her lighter footfalls as she hurried to catch up to him. "O-one would think, th-that you had n-never seen a woman half n-naked before," she remarked.

He snorted. Hardly true. He had had his fair share of women flat on their backs, but never one with her beauty. Granted, he had had plenty of beautiful women wanting to share his bed, but their desire had disgusted him. They had seen nothing but a handsome man, and had wanted nothing more than physical pleasure.

Sephiroth sought something other than beauty in his mistresses--he sought innocence. Purity. Altruism. These had never been women who'd thrown themselves at him, but they had been persuaded. And when he had finished with them, he had spoiled the innocence which had drawn him, and broken any misplaced trust they had for him. When he had finished, he had made them understand enough of what he had experienced to push them beneath him.

_What did you make her do that for?_ his mother demanded, finally interrupting his thoughts when he provided her with no answer of his own accord.

_Come now, Mother. If I overestimated her, she may very well freeze to death. You would like that very much, so you shouldn't complain._

_I'm worried that you've underestimated her._

_How so?_

_If she seduces you--_

Sephiroth laughed aloud, startling Aeris without knowing it.

_It is not so ridiculous as you seem to think_, Jenova stated. _Already you find yourself intrigued by her. Already you've taken pleasure in the feel of her body. Don't deny it._

_Why should I? Nothing will come of it._ He had stopped laughing, almost abruptly.

"...Sephiroth?" Aeris queried uncertainly.

_Be careful, my son._

_I will_, he answered. _But if my attraction harms either of us, it will be her._ He glanced back at the Cetra. "What?"

"W-why were you laughing j-just now?" She actually sounded... concerned. He could have laughed again at the absurdity of it.

"Why should it matter?" he asked instead.

She fell silent. They walked on.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I think there are even fewer changes to this chapter than the first. Expect to see a lot of the Avalanche parts from Yuffie's point of view; she's one of my favorite characters to write. This also has the first scene we get from Sephiroth's point of view, and Jenova's entrance. I went with a different characterization than in Fallen for both of them. This Sephiroth is perfectly sane and knows precisely what he's doing, while Jenova is much less emotional than in Fallen. It's a take that leaves less room for sympathy, I guess.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

She had fallen again. She knew that she was slowing him down, and that his patience was wearing thin. She struggled to get up, but fell back into the snow, sensing her own motion only through the strain of her muscles and her vision through squinted eyes, lashes hardly shielding them from the snow that now fell. Her body was numb from the cold.

"Get up," came Sephiroth's harsh voice, and she wondered how long it had been since she'd lost count of hearing the command, always in the same tone.

Aeris tried again to move, but seemed to be getting nowhere. "I... I c-can't, Seph..." Gods, she couldn't even seem to finish his name, and it came out sounding like some desperate plea to a close friend. At this point, she realized, he was her only hope of survival, so maybe it amounted to roughly the same thing in the end. If he chose to abandon her, she would die, so her life now depended on how much she meant to him, in one way or another. The thought should have terrified her, but even strength enough to fear seemed to have been sapped from her.

A sudden flash of heat at her side made her cry out. She wondered at it for a moment before comprehending what had happened-Sephiroth had cast a fire spell. Not at her, but near enough. Too near. Feeling had returned to her, a crawling violence across her skin. She managed to curl into a ball in the snow and slush.

"Get up," he repeated, his tone no different from before.

She struggled again to obey, but her body protested every motion. What would he do to her now? Might he abandon her? The return of sensation had brought with it some semblance of feeling, and Aeris found herself afraid.

She thought she heard him moving away. The sound could have been imagined, but tears pricked her eyes anyway. If he had left her, then that meant it was over, and she would meet her death by his hand, only a little later and slower than the original plan. A pathetic, unobserved, lonely death out here, and her body would be left to the snow. Her friends might not even find her. She'd chosen _this_ over one instant's pain?

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the building sobs away. She would not cry in front of Sephiroth, if he were still standing there. She would not give him that satisfaction. If he were still there. The tears escaped just the same and all she could do was curl up tighter and hide her face. She did not let her sobs shake her body. She kept her voice silent with some difficulty. But she let the tears roll down her cheeks and join the snow beneath her. She could not stop them. Planet, this wasn't what she had wanted that chance for.

"Are you crying?" Sephiroth asked her, and her heart leapt at the sound of his voice, never mind the disgust in it, never mind that it was his.

"N-no," she stated loudly, not lifting her head.

He strode over to her, grasped a handful of her hair, and yanked her head up, making her cry out. "You're lying," he stated, eyeing her tears with a frown. "Don't."

She winced and drew in a shaky breath through her tears. "L-let me go..."

"Let you go?" he echoed, scoffing. "You are in no position to give orders."

Meeting his gaze, she gathered what she could of her obstinacy. "I-it makes more s-sense... the other way around, c-considering I can't... f-follow orders."

Sephiroth laughed, seeming to find something far more worthy in this than her sobs. "True, I suppose. This means I'll have to carry you again, doesn't it?"

"Please..." she murmured in spite of herself, a growing relief wearing her down.

"Hm?" His smile of amusement vanished.

"Just don't l-leave me."

He snorted. "Oh, is that what you were crying about?" He did not wait for an answer, but let go of her hair and gathered her in his arms. "I won't be leaving you anywhere; I am not finished with you yet."

Aeris did not reply. She curled up against him, glad of his warmth and not caring if he was her enemy at the moment. She wanted to live. It didn't matter how. If someone so despicable was to be her savior from dying alone in this cold, so be it. She'd accept that.

Again she fancied that his touch was gentle, but that was a stupid notion. She had to be delirious. That was the only explanation. That, and the warmth she felt through Sephiroth's coat, slowly warming her in turn. She should not have felt grateful to him, she thought in annoyance, but she did.

They travelled for some time, and she shut her eyes against the weather. After a while, she became used to his body heat, and she became aware of the cold and the snow against her skin once more.

"We will stop here for a while," he stated, startling her. She had not realized he had been carrying her for that long. He practically dropped her onto the stony ground, and she yelped, eyes snapping open.

"Did you have to do that?" she asked, glaring at him and tenderly touching a fresh wound in her side. Not too bad, but painful all the same.

Sephiroth did not bother to look in her direction, nor did he bother to reply. He sat down and leaned back against the rock wall, closing his eyes. He did not move.

Aeris watched him for a long moment, waiting for him to acknowledge her question, but he continued to ignore her. She sighed and drew her fingers away from the small gash. Blood. She doubted for an instant that she had the energy to heal herself, but reminded herself that such a tiny wound wouldn't much tax her. She took a moment to close the flesh, and wondered what had happened to her burns. Had her enemy really healed them, or had she done so in her daze, scarcely realizing it?

She cast him another glance, then looked around at their shelter. It was not quite a cave, but rather a narrow passage between two stony walls, one of which had an overhang. The snow and the wind could not reach here, but it was hardly any warmer.

Rubbing her arms, she curled up, huddling close to the wall as if hoping it could warm her. The stone was cold and unfriendly. This was still better than walking alone and half-naked through the snow, she consoled herself.

"How can you stand it?" she asked of her captor, who had never shown the slightest reaction to the cold. Even that heavy black coat couldn't shield him from all of it.

"Hey," she said, raising her voice when he remained silent. "I'm talking to you, Sephiroth."

"I realize this," he stated.

"Then answer me. How can you stand it?"

Again no reply.

Aeris sighed. "How silly of me to think you'd talk to me," she muttered to herself. She studied him, noting how tangled his hair had become from the wind. Her own hair was still thankfully tied back, the wind pulling only short strands to whip at her face.

And the White Materia was still there, she thought, remarking on it not for the first time since he'd taken her captive. She wondered why he let her keep it. If he meant to break her, shouldn't that, her memento of her mother, symbol of her completed duty, be something to rip from her? She couldn't believe he simply hadn't thought of it. Was there a plan for later, or was he not so cruel as he pretended?

She hesitated, and then asked, "What does Jenova think of this?" Saying the name made her uncomfortable, an invocation of the bane that had nearly wiped out her ancestors.

"What does it matter?" he asked, not opening his eyes or making any other movement.

"She probably doesn't like it, that you didn't kill me, does she?"

He did not reply.

"Why do you put up with her?"

"She is my mother."

"Do you actually believe that?"

He reacted now, opening his eyes and shooting her a glare. "What, you have some new lie to tell me?"

"I'm not a liar," she protested, unthinking.

"No?" he asked, mouth twisting in an amused smirk. "With the position you are in, you have ample reason to be. Besides, you have lied numerous times, when it suits your purposes. I am not so blind as your friends."

Aeris frowned. "I wouldn't lie about something like this. I just... Well. All right, if you won't believe me... Jenova went along with it when you thought you were a Cetra, didn't she?"

Sephiroth eyed her warily. "Yes..."

"But you say she knew Cetra, so she must have known all along that she wasn't one of them, and therefore, neither were you."

He closed his eyes again. "What does it matter?"

"Don't you see?" she asked, sitting up straighter in determination. His tone made it clear this wasn't something he had entirely made up his mind on. "She lied to you! And maybe she's lying to you now."

"If she had told me then," he said quietly, "do you think I would have believed her?"

She slumped back, and shook her head slightly, and though he could not see it, he seemed to sense her answer.

"Why should she have tried to tell me the truth? Do you think she wanted me to hate her, too?"

"But... she still lied," she repeated. "Isn't that what you hate everyone else for?"

"Only in part," he answered guardedly. His desire to end the conversation was so obvious, it surprised her that he kept replying. Maybe she was getting somewhere after all.

"What is she then? The lesser of the evils?"

"You do not understand. Stop trying to."

Aeris stifled a cry of exasperation and persisted. As long as he responded... "But, Sephiroth, I want to understand you."

"What for?"

"I... I'm curious," she lied, hoping it sounded convincing enough for him. She was never going to get anywhere if she couldn't understand him. "I want to know why you're really doing this. Who wouldn't?"

"The rest of the world," he replied dryly.

"Then I guess I'm not like the rest of the world. I never have been. So tell me."

Sephiroth looked at her again, raising an eyebrow. "You expect me to tell you simply because you ask? You are more naive than I thought."

"But I think you want someone to understand you."

"Why should I?"

"Because I do," she answered without thinking through the implication. "And..."

He snorted, catching it immediately. "You actually think I am anything like you?"

Aeris sighed and retreated from his gaze, resting her head against her knees. "No, not really... But I've always thought that everyone wanted to be understood. I... Wouldn't it be that much nicer, not to be so alone?"

She felt it when he looked away again. "Do not unburden your soul to me, Cetra. I do not care."

Frowning, she closed her eyes, wishing she could sleep here. But she did not dare with it being so cold, so she resigned herself to her thoughts.

Maybe she really _was_ a little curious, she admitted to herself. When she'd first heard Cloud's story, about how he was a Cetra, she'd wondered about him. Had it made him lonely, too? In spite of everything else he'd done, she couldn't help thinking that they shared something, in being different. She thought she'd gotten over that on learning he was something else, but it still lingered. It remained that neither of them was entirely human.

But any vague similarities that brought with it weren't something she should dwell on, no more than she could use them. He had nearly killed her, twice now. The last thing she needed to do was start commiserating with her enemy. He'd experienced something like she had, probably, but now he had gone so far in the other direction that they were near complete opposites.

A shiver ran through her body, bringing the cold around her to the forefront of her thoughts, and she curled tighter against it. "Too bad you don't have any gentlemanly qualities," she bemoaned aloud. "If you did, you'd lend me your coat."

"If I didn't, you would be naked," Sephiroth replied matter-of-factly, "and quite possibly flat on your back."

His remark almost silenced her, but she soon found her voice again. "That doesn't count. The underwear was a compromise, and this isn't any place for... _that_."

"Fine," he said indifferently. "I am completely ungentlemanly."

"That's better," she replied, determined not to show how much his apathy annoyed her. Planet, sometimes she just wanted to _cut_ him. But she couldn't seem to hurt him with what little she had at her disposal. Maybe she was going about it the wrong way. He responded easily to her spite and sarcasm; letting that go when she spoke with him was what had drawn the most varied responses from him. Maybe she should have been showing him kindness, just to throw him off.

But be kind to _him_? Oh, that would be loathsome. But her friends knew her to be kind to everyone. Sephiroth could not be an exception. She could not grant him that, and compassion was the last thing he seemed to want. So she would go hard on herself, too, and do the exact opposite of what he did to her.

But impersonally. He could break her all the more easily if she had some attachment to him.

Despite her decision, it was a long time before she made any further effort to speak to him. It was one thing to decide on it, it was another thing to discern how to go about it. Moreover, the likelihood of still freezing to death here was a much more immediate concern. Sephiroth was ignoring her entirely, but she didn't have any options outside of him. Even if she could get away, it was unfamiliar territory, with gods knew how far to any civilization, and she could scarcely last ten minutes in her condition.

She could ask him for any number of things to help her, but in the end she could expect nothing from him. Asking wasn't the way to go about it.

Taking a deep breath, Aeris got to her feet and walked over to join him. She sat down close enough to brush shoulders with him and followed his gaze to an unimpressive point on the wall opposite them.

He did not even glance at her.

At length, she sighed and decided to break the silence once again. "Why do you hate them anyway? What did they do to you?"

This time Sephiroth deigned to grace her with a reply. "I thought you would have known that already."

She shook her head dismissively. "I've heard the part about the humans stealing the Planet from the Cetra and you wanting to take it back, but you don't believe that anymore. So now what is it?"

"Many men seek power. Must there be a reason besides the wanting of it?"

"Not in all cases. But I don't think you're power-hungry. Not like that."

"And why not?"

"If that was all, you would have done something like this a long time ago," Aeris reasoned. "You were Shinra's great hero after the war, and you didn't take advantage of that in the slightest. It took Nibelheim to set you off. And as long as I'm mentioning Nibelheim, none of what you found there should matter now either, now that you know how much of it isn't true."

"That does not change the fact of the experiment that created me, and it only adds to a long list of lies."

If he had said that with even the slightest bitterness, she could have easily pitied him. As it was, she only glanced at him, wondering how he could speak of everything so indifferently. "That's right... Everyone seems to lie to you, don't they? But that's only part of why you hate them, you said."

Sephiroth glanced at her, looking entirely unimpressed.

At least he had looked at her.

"Aren't you lonely?" Aeris asked abruptly.

He had fallen silent, and it seemed unlikely that he would reply.

She leaned forward, hugging her knees. "All that made you outcast, too, didn't it?"

"Do not compare me to yourself, Aeris. You'll only end up with nothing."

Looking back at him, she met his gaze for a moment before she had to look away from its intensity. "What, are you afraid of getting too close to someone?"

"I have no need of being close to anyone."

"You're just telling yourself that."

"You merely want to make me seem human."

"Why should I want you to seem human?"

"Because you are more comfortable around them."

"Yes, I suppose I would be more comfortable around people who let me wear clothes in freezing temperatures."

Sephiroth cast her a glance that contained-to her astonishment-genuine amusement. "That is not what I meant."

"I know," Aeris replied. "But even so... most humans haven't been particularly kind to me either. If you were a Cetra, that would make me much more at ease with you. As it is... you're something alien, and probably more human than I am anyway."

"How is that?" he queried, sounding vaguely suspicious and yet actually curious.

"You did say I was only half-Cetra, but both of your parents were hu-"

"Ridiculous," he interrupted. "My mother is most definitely not human."

She managed to meet his gaze steadily, hoping her eyes would show she was indeed telling the truth. "I'll agree that Jenova isn't human. That's obvious. But she's not your mother."

His eyes narrowed, glowing a dangerous emerald. "It would not be wise to continue, Cetra."

"Your mother's name was Lucrecia," Aeris went on, clasping her hands together till her knuckles turned white. The look in those eyes scared her, but she did not want to show it beyond that.

"I know nothing of this 'Lucrecia,'" Sephiroth said contemptuously.

"Of course you don't. No one bothered to tell you."

"Why tell me Jenova was instead?"

"I don't know," Aeris admitted. "I don't know who told you, but... well, Vincent said it was a theory, so maybe it was just how Professor Gast and Hojo thought of it." She saw how he tensed at Hojo's name, and made note of it to herself.

"How do I know that you are not lying to me as well?" he asked sharply. Still, there was something in his eyes that made her hopeful.

"Look at me, Sephiroth," she said. "Look me in the eye; I can't hide anything from you anyway." There was a short pause. "Well? Do _you_ think I'm lying?"

He met her gaze for a long moment, but she could not read his expression. Suddenly, he looked away with a noise akin to a snarl. "You are lying," he stated.

Aeris sighed and looked down. "Did Jenova tell you so, or did you decide it for yourself?"

"You should stop trying to make excuses for me," he told her tonelessly.

"Advice from you?" she remarked incredulously. "That's making it a bit too hard on yourself, isn't it?"

"No."

She found herself leaning against him, and she wondered when she had moved. His body heat had drawn her in, she supposed, and as long as that was all, she could ignore it. "You're not nearly as cruel as I thought you'd be," she said.

"You say this despite the fact that I have nearly killed you, kidnapped you, forced you to walk half-naked through the snow until you nearly froze to death, and threatened to rape you?"

He said it so simply. "Yes," she said. "You didn't kill me; that's the important thing. You've kept me alive, too. You haven't... raped me. And you won't."

Sephiroth smiled slowly. "Would you like the pleasure of taking off my clothes, or will I have to force you?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "You... you can't be serious..."

"I am. Now is as good a time as any, yes? Well? Are you a willing victim or a fighter?"

Her voice fled from her, and she searched his face for some indication that he was joking. He couldn't really mean to do this now, could he? She didn't think she could handle it, not those kinds of wounds, _not now_.

He laughed abruptly-at her expression of horror, she realized. "I thought you were certain?"

She blinked at him slowly. "Then... you're not...?"

"Not now, Aeris, not now." He trailed a finger down her bare side, making her shudder. "In time, though, perhaps..."

Aeris inched away from him despite her body's protests.

"How illogical," he murmured absently.

"What do you mean?" she asked, glad she had regained relative control over her voice.

"Now that I have told you I will not harm you, you move away. I thought you were cold."

"I won't have you touching me like that," she told him, casting him a glare that probably contained more fear than anger.

Sephiroth looked amused. "You think you have some sort of control over that, do you?"

"Well, I... you..."

He pulled her unceremoniously into his lap, his hands resting comfortably about her hips. She dropped her gaze, blushing furiously and wishing she could manage to pull away from him somehow. She also wished her body would agree with her; it was taking far too much pleasure from his warmth and his touch.

"Do you like this?" he asked mockingly.

It took her a moment to find a reply, and even then she was surprised at her words. "You shouldn't become too attached to me if you're only going to throw me away in the end. You have too much fun doing this to me. I think you must like it as much as I do."

"Nonsense, Aeris. I'll have other toys."

"And when you're through with them all? What then?"

"Worried?"

"Why should I worry about you?"

"I don't know. But you do."

Aeris looked up at him, astonished because he had realized it before she had. And indeed she couldn't think of a reason. "I just..." she began, and stopped, not knowing what else to say.

Sephiroth got to his feet without waiting for an answer that wasn't coming, lifting her with him, and threw her over his shoulder as she yelped surprise. He said not another word, but stepped out from the crevice and back into the snow fields, continuing westward. _I guess he rested long enough_, she thought wryly. She did not even consider asking him to carry her in another fashion.

The wind whipped his hair about, constantly blowing it into her face. At first she tried to shield herself with her arms, but it didn't work very well. In annoyance, she grasped at his hair, twisting to gather it together and then separate it into three thick locks of silver.

Sephiroth turned his head slightly, as though trying to look over his shoulder at her. "What are you doing?"

"Braiding your hair," she replied. "I'm tired of it getting in my face."

"Don't touch my hair," he said, a veiled threat in his tone.

She peered at him. "Vain, are we? Doesn't it bother you?"

"Leave it."

Aeris hesitated, then went on twining the three locks together.

Suddenly, he pulled her off his shoulder and thrust her downwards. She landed hard in the snow, floundering for a moment before managing to sit up. Wincing, she looked up at his retreating form. "What was that for?" she demanded.

"I told you not to touch my hair."

She scrambled to her feet and hurried after him, becoming uncomfortably aware of something else. She managed to catch up to him without tripping. "And for that you toss me in the snow?"

"Yes."

"But I was only trying to help!" she protested.

"For your own benefit."

"Mutual benefit," she corrected, watching the unfinished braid come loose and the strands whip about him once more. "Now come on, why don't you let me finish and tie it back? That can't be pleasant."

"Leave it."

"Impossibly stubborn man," she muttered under her breath.

Sephiroth glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

Aeris dropped back, trying to avoid that gaze. Why could she never decide whether she wanted him to look at her or ignore her entirely? In any case... "Um..." she began uncertainly.

He probably heard her, but offered no convenient question to allow her to continue.

She faltered, then went on in embarrassment, "Sephiroth... I have to go to the bathroom."

The swordsman laughed and shook his head. "There is no 'bathroom' for miles."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

He offered her a shrug in reply. "Go if you must."

"Out here?"

"Where else?"

"But... it's..."

"I will not wait for you," he interrupted. "You will have to catch up somehow." He glanced at her over his shoulder and added dryly, "And I've no desire to watch, so you needn't be so embarrassed."

Aeris considered saying more, but eventually decided against it and stopped in her tracks. She did not trust him despite his words, and she suddenly felt very nervous out here in the open snow fields. She watched him for a moment, but he didn't so much as glance back. She turned aside a little from the trail he had left, not feeling very comforted.

* * *

He was a bit surprised when she did catch up to him; he had expected to have to stop and wait for her or perhaps even to go back and retrieve her from the snow. Her gait, though, was unsteady, and she wouldn't last much longer.

She gave no cry when she fell this time, and he stopped to watch her struggling back to her feet. She stood still for a long moment, perhaps gathering her strength, then resolutely continued forward.

Only to collapse at his feet, shivering.

Sephiroth stooped to gather her up and walked on in silence.

Aeris, of course, had to interrupt the quiet. "I don't understand it," she murmured against his chest. After a short pause, she went on. "Sometimes I hate this so much, but then... It doesn't all fit. So maybe I was wrong. How many sides are there to you?"

"None to remark on. You're delusional." Wrong about _what_? What was she saying? That sometimes he seemed _kind_?

"No, no, I'm not," she insisted. "It would be easier if you _were_ nothing but a monster. But you're not. You're still not sure."

_Make her shut up_, Jenova said in disgust. _Such idiocy, really._

He ignored her. "About _what_, exactly?"

The Cetra seemed to brighten at his question. "You know. Your beliefs. Whether or not Jenova is your mother and even whether what you're doing is right."

"She is my mother, and we are right."

"How do you justify it now that you can no longer claim to be a Cetra?"

"You have seen what the humans have done to this planet. Surely you hate them for it also."

"Shinra, yes," she answered. "But there are people against Shinra. People who only want to help the Planet-"

"And it is in their nature to harm it."

Aeris shook her head slightly. "You're just saying these things," she said softly.

"Then what do you think, Aeris?"

"I'm not sure... There's something beyond revenge, but of course you won't tell me. You don't need anyone to understand you. Certainly you don't need me."

Sephiroth smiled, though she could not see it. "You learn quickly."

"I guess," the Cetra sighed, falling into a thoughtful silence.

_What is she talking about?_ his mother demanded. _If there is any truth in her words..._

_Don't mind her, Mother. She thinks she knows me, but she does not. This desire of hers to understand me will only harm her in the end._

_You should not let her speak so._

_What are you afraid of?_

_You believing her foolishness._

_I won't_, he told her, annoyed that they had to repeat this conversation so often. _They are nothing more than lies, and I am finished with putting faith in illusions._

_The Cetra were always plotting_, Jenova agreed. _And they put on such convincing demeanors. Do not deny you felt a thrill of doubt in _my_ words when she said I was not your mother._

_You are my mother_, Sephiroth said firmly. _She cannot convince me otherwise._

_Good. So long as you remember she is nothing but a liar._

_Of course._ Yet that was never what he saw when he looked at her. At first, of course, she had appeared so innocent as to disgust him, but now he could tell that she was not quite so unmarred as she pretended. The gentle smile and bright eyes hid something far more dark than most who knew her probably imagined.

Sephiroth shook his head slightly. Perhaps she really was dangerous after all, if he had begun to think of her in such a light. But in the end it only provided him with more opportunity; if she was hiding behind that silly facade, it only meant she had more wounds he could reopen. All he had to do was wait, let her break the silence and provide him with one of those same openings he had mostly ignored until now.

Predictably, Aeris spoke up after a while. "I think I see a town. Is that where we're headed?"

Snow Village had been in his sight for some time now, but she must have finally noticed it. "Yes."

"How people can stand to live this far north is beyond me," she remarked with a frown. After a moment, her face brightened. "Can we stop for breakfast there? It's morning now, and you said maybe..."

"When was the last time you ate?" he queried. If she had managed to keep silent about it for this long, she could not be starving, could she? Then again, being a slums girl, she had to have built up some endurance, and he certainly had not encouraged complaints.

"I must have grabbed something or other before I left from the Temple..." she answered uncertainly.

"Three days ago or longer," Sephiroth translated, then sighed. "Very well. If they will give anything to you, you may have it."

Aeris peered at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Surely you have not forgotten the condition you are in."

She looked down at herself, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Oh, I'm sure if I stumble into someone's house, they'll be kind enough to help me out. You don't plan on coming inside with me, do you?"

"Only if any dawdling on your part forces me to retrieve you. And be sure to remember you require no aid beyond food."

"I'm touched, truly, by your regard for my well-being," she said sardonically.

"Who besides your new friends ever showed 'regard for your well-being'?"

"My mother, for one," she said pointedly. "And Elmyra."

"Elmyra?" he queried.

"She took care of me after my birth mother died," she answered quite openly. "A second mother to me. And I'm certain she did a much better job than Jenova."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh?"

"If she'd raised you, you'd never have been in SOLDIER, you'd never have had anything to do with Jenova, and you certainly wouldn't be on this godsdamned mission of yours."

"Really? What would I be doing then?"

Aeris blinked. "How should I know?"

"You seem to know so many other things about me. So tell me what I would be doing if your mother had raised me."

She shook her head, at a loss for an answer. "But you could've been a concert pianist for all I know!"

"Not bad," he remarked, earning himself a puzzled look. "Do you want to know what you would be now if you had shared my upbringing?"

"Sure," she answered slowly, still eyeing him carefully. "What would I be?"

"A corpse."

She was silent for a moment, then asked, "You had it that rough?"

"Does it matter now?"

"Of course it does," Aeris insisted. "It's part of who you are."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Everything you do and everything that happens to you determine who you become."

"So how did an outcast child of the slums grow up to be so accepting?" Sephiroth asked.

She looked away from him, towards the town that they were approaching. "How can I be close-minded when I know how it feels to be judged so quickly?"

He scoffed. "Certainly you do not need so much time to judge me."

"I do," she said, "because you're not as pure black as Cloud or Tifa would have it. You're some shade of grey... Were you raised in a laboratory? Is that it?"

"Why do you insist on comparing your life to mine?"

Aeris looked back at him, startled. "How did you know I spent time in a lab?"

Sephiroth grinned briefly. At times she was all too easy to read. "I didn't."

"Then you just guessed?"

"So what if I did?" he queried coolly. "You know, I am quite certain Hojo will be at our destination. Perhaps I'll simply hand you over to him for a short while. I don't pretend to bear anything remotely resembling a liking for the man, but obviously neither do you."

There was indeed fear in her eyes. "You wouldn't..." she breathed. "Surely you wouldn't, not when you know what it's like."

He frowned. "Did I ever say I had spent any part of my life in a laboratory beyond the time it took for Professor Gast to produce me? Though I don't doubt I would harbor no sympathy for you if I had. I have no qualms about letting Hojo treat you like a lab rat."

"You're lying," she said, though she sounded desperate for assurance. "You won't let me near him."

"So you would rather remain with me?" he queried, raising an eyebrow. "How stupid of you."

"At least you acknowledge that I'm capable of intelligent thought, even if you do condescend."

"I would be a fool to ignore it."

"Then you consider me a worthy opponent?" she asked with some apparent delight.

He eyed her dubiously. "You knew that from the start, didn't you?"

"No. Or at least, I didn't believe you when you said so."

"Hmph."

They came to the entrance to the village, and Sephiroth set her on her feet. Aeris looked back at him in surprise. "You didn't drop me this time."

"No," he agreed. "I had no desire to pull you to your feet again."

She looked down, probably noting how deep the snow was where she stood. "My feet must be numb," she concluded, her tone oddly devoid of concern.

Ignoring the remark, Sephiroth nodded towards the nearest residence. "I expect you can find something there."

She followed gaze, and studied the large house doubtfully. "I guess..."

"I will wait here. You will return within ten minutes, whether you come willingly or over my shoulder."

"Right..." Aeris hesitated, and he almost expected her to state that she had nothing with which to tell time, but she must have realized he knew this already and turned to walk off.

Sephiroth watched her go, wondering if he really could give her up to Hojo. He attributed his dislike of the idea to a desire to break her entirely by himself, but a small part of him considered that perhaps he found some solace in her company.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Dreams swirled through Tifa's mind, vague and wraith-like, gone before she could grasp them. Something at the back of her mind realized that she was drifting towards consciousness, but her central awareness could not seem to comprehend this.

She rolled over, nearly moving back when she found this new surface colder than the former one--but she brushed against something much warmer. Skin? She moved closer, curling up against the new warmth, eyes closed lightly in contentment.

Her final leap to consciousness was sudden and disorienting. For a moment, she fancied that the warmth had been little more than a desire expressed in her dreams, but opening her eyes quickly disproved this. In her sleep, she had curled up against _Cloud_, who thankfully was still asleep and had not noticed.

Hurriedly, Tifa sat up and moved away, though she found herself regretting it when she lost his warmth. _Silly girl. You were too tired to even take out your sleeping bag._ She glanced around her only to notice that her teammates hadn't bothered either.

She rubbed her bare arms, wondering how they were to make it to Snow Village without the right gear. They'd been so caught up in reaching Aeris in time that all they had for warmth were their sleeping bags, which were hardly made for travelling in. Coats would definitely be in order for when they reached the next town. And pants, too, she added mentally, tucking her cold legs beneath her.

Should she wake the others? she wondered. Cloud had wanted to move on quickly, after all. Still, she hated to have to disturb them when they all looked so peaceful...

Sighing, Tifa crawled over to Cloud and shook his arm a little. "Hey, Cloud. Wake up."

His blue eyes snapped open, and he sat up so quickly that she started and had to stifle a yelp. He turned to look at her, blinking several times before recognition crossed his face. "Oh... Hey, Tifa."

She smiled in mild relief. "Were you having a dream or something?"

"Yeah," he answered, looking away.

"Seems like you've been having a lot of nightmares lately," she said, studying him carefully. "You shouldn't keep so much to yourself."

He flashed her a rare smile. "I'll manage, Teef. Don't worry about it."

"A-all right..."

Cloud turned to wake the other two. Nanaki got up, stretched, and sat back on his haunches without a word of complaint. Yuffie griped and grumbled, but she, too, got up.

"All right, let's go," Cloud said simply.

"Good morning to you, too," Yuffie muttered as she followed the others off down the tunnel.

"I'm not sure it's morning, Yuffie," Tifa said.

"Indeed," Nanaki agreed. "It is rather dark for morning."

Their leader nodded his agreement. "Good thing we have you along, Nanaki. We'd be nearly blind without your tail."

Tifa glanced at him. No, Cloud wouldn't have been nearly blind; his Mako eyes allowed him to see decently in the dark. Nanaki probably had excellent night vision as well. It was she and Yuffie who would have been stumbling about like drunkards. She felt briefly grateful that he had not mentioned any of these things.

A little more than an hour later, they reached the cave's exit, and moonlit snow fields stretched before them. Another mountain range lay in the distance, and a faint glow in the east told them that the sun was not long in rising.

"There are tracks in the snow," Nanaki noted, nodding towards two sets of imprints stretching off into the white, nearly filled in by the wind shifting snow across the valley.

"How old do you think they are?" Cloud asked, following them with his eyes.

The feline shook his head. "Difficult to tell, but they don't seem recent."

"Aeris couldn't move so fast, could she?" Tifa said doubtfully. "It looks like Sephiroth stopped carrying her, and she walked on her own."

"So maybe they're not so far ahead of us..." Cloud murmured, apparently sharing her feelings of mixed hope and anxiety. It was bitterly cold out here, and Aeris had nothing to warm her. But if she was on her feet, she would slow Sephiroth down, and just maybe they could catch up.

After pulling out their sleeping bags at Tifa's suggestion, the group trudged onward through the snow, following the faint tracks left by the swordsman and his captive.

Hardly half an hour out from the cave, Yuffie, who had enough energy that she often wandered ahead, gave a cry. When the other three caught up, they found her tugging something a shade of familiar pink out from under a few inches of snow.

"That's Aeris's dress," Tifa pointed out uselessly. "This isn't a good sign..."

"Something must have happened here," Nanaki said. "The snow is less even here... as though from a scuffle or a fall."

Cloud expression darkened, anger and anxiety warring across it. "He wouldn't have..."

"We shouldn't try to figure this out," Yuffie interrupted, speaking hurriedly. "This is just really weird, and we have nothing to go on but some uneven snow and some clothes."

"Right," Tifa agreed, grateful, for once, for the teenager's quick mouth. "Let's just drop it." She gathered up Aeris's dress and the red jacket that Yuffie had also uncovered, and she tucked them away in her pack.

The group moved on in silence.

* * *

She rapped on the door with several loud, quick knocks. The time limit he had given her made her feel anxious and the whole ordeal quite urgent. That, and the pangs afflicting her stomach made the hunger border on nausea.

She felt a rush of relief when a young woman answered the door, dressed in a heavy sweater and ankle-length skirt, obvious warmth that Aeris immediately envied. The room beyond her looked equally cozy, the dark oak-paneled walls flickering with the light of what must have been a fire.

The woman's mouth worked, only half-formed expressions of astonishment and confusion making it past her lips. "What...? Are you...?" Obviously the last person she expected when she opened the door was a starving, shivering, scantily-clad Cetra.

"Can I please come inside?" Aeris asked, noting with some surprise that she hardly felt embarrassed by her condition. It seemed that she had spent so long half-naked and around Sephiroth, who made no big deal of it, that it no longer bothered her much. Or maybe the hunger and cold had just overridden any possible mortification.

"Ce-certainly," the woman stuttered, opening the door wider and stepping aside to allow her through.

The Cetra entered gratefully. The warm air around her felt like heaven.

"Wh-what exactly...? Why are you... ah...?"

Aeris turned around and bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I really can't explain. And I can't stay long. I just came to ask if you had any food."

"Food? Oh, yes, of course, I'll get you a blanket and cook you up something hot." The young woman started off down the hall, forsaking her desire for an explanation in the recognition that her unlikely visitor needed help.

"Wait a second!" Aeris protested, hurrying after her. As soon as the living room of the house was visible, her gaze darted around for a clock, and she marked the time in her mind.

"What is it...?"

"I really don't have long, not long enough for you to cook. Just... whatever you can spare, at a moment's notice."

The woman's brow furrowed in confusion, but she nodded a bit. "All right then... I'll fetch you something. You go warm yourself by the fire in the meantime."

"Thank you so very much."

Aeris watched her disappear into another room, then hesitantly made her way to the fireplace, sitting down on the rug in front of it. Beside her, an elderly woman was sitting in a rocking chair, and she did a double take, staring.

"Good heavens!" she exclaimed, and had to endure a few coughs before she could ask, "What are you doing dressed like that?"

"You'd rather not know," the Cetra said simply, closing her eyes and basking in the fire's warmth, appreciating even the painful protests of her toes as feeling returned to them.

"You'll catch cold walking around like that," the old woman told her. "I'll have my granddaughter fetch you some warm clothes and--"

"I can't accept them," Aeris interrupted.

"And why ever not?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She looked up as the young woman returned with half a loaf of bread, a chunk of some sort of smoked meat, and a glass of milk. She accepted them gratefully, cold though they were, and refrained from tearing into the food ravenously until she had said a polite 'thank you.'

She had never eaten so fast in her life. It couldn't be good for her, and she worried that her stomach would reject it soon afterward, but what else could she do? She had a feeling that if she returned with any food for later, Sephiroth would not let her keep it. She glanced at the clock. _Two minutes._

Aeris swallowed down the last of the speedy meal, set down the empty glass, and leapt to her feet. The two women had been watching her with a mixture of shock and amazement, and now they started at her sudden movement.

She bowed to the both of them. "Thank you for your kindness. I have to be going now." She started for the door.

The young woman caught her arm. "Isn't there anything else we can do for you...?" she asked.

The Cetra blinked in surprise at her pleading tone, and then realized how it must have torn at these two to be allowed to provide her so little. She thought for a moment, then nodded with a slight smile. "If anyone comes asking about me, tell them I'm doing all right, and that I'm not hurt. Can you do that?"

"A-all right. I will."

"Thank you again." She stole a glance at the clock. "I really need to be going. Goodbye." She hurried for the door, regretfully leaving the fire's warmth and the women's concern behind her. As she opened the door, gritting her teeth against the cold, she wondered what they made of her brief visit. She wondered if Cloud would also pass through here. She wondered how her friends were doing.

She looked up to see Sephiroth waiting in the same place as before, and trudged through the snow to rejoin him.

"I did not think you would be so punctual," he remarked, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. He was letting it go at that.

"If you had to come for me, who knows what you would have done to the people living in that house?" she said.

"Point," he agreed. "But what does it matter? I want to show you something."

Aeris blinked rapidly. "What?" What could he possibly want to show her?

He did not answer her, but turned instead to walk along a path of hard-packed snow that ran through the center of the little town. She kept to the lighter, untrodden stuff, afraid that something so icy would cling and tear at the soles of her feet. He matched her pace without seeming to notice her.

Sephiroth led her to a rather unextraordinary-looking house, finally pulling ahead of her to open the door and barge in without knocking. Aeris followed, finding the room quite empty. She looked about, spying a set of stairs that led downward, but there were no sounds of anyone rushing to meet them. Her first thought was that whoever lived here was not home at the moment, but upon a closer inspection, it became apparent that no one had been here for quite some time. Dust lay thick on everything. The place was deserted.

_But at least it's warmer in here._

She glanced at Sephiroth questioningly, but he did not meet her gaze. He moved to shut the door and scanned the room almost indifferently. She frowned slightly, but went back to inspecting it for herself.

This main room was occupied by a rectangular wooden table that did not seem to have any chairs to it, nor anything lying on its surface. Machines of various sorts lined the left wall. Her gaze wandered up to where light streaked in through a half-closed skylight. Opposite that, a camera occupied a corner where it would have had a full view of the room, had its lens not been broken.

At a loss as to what she was supposed to recognize, Aeris asked aloud, "What is this place?"

"The home of the late Professor Gast," he replied. "Abandoned for some twenty-two years now. I suppose you do not remember it."

"Of course not," she said, eyeing him in confusion. "I would've been an infant then, and anyway, it was Professor Hojo who... worked with me, not Professor Gast."

"How little you know. You can speak to your ancestors, can you not? Your mother told you nothing?"

"About what? Professor Gast?"

He nodded.

"No. Why should she have?"

"I should think you would have asked about your father."

Aeris blinked. "You mean... Professor Gast...? But that's ridiculous!"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Why is it ridiculous?"

"Because he was a scientist, and..." She faltered, and shook her head. "It just doesn't make any sense. You're probably just making this up to confuse me anyway." Somehow, it didn't seem that way.

"You want proof? There are some videos over there." He motioned towards one of the machines.

Aeris blinked, glanced up at the broken camera, and made her way over to the machine he'd indicated. The tapes were tucked on a low, dusty shelf to the left of the old-fashioned VCR and monitor. She skimmed the hand-scrawled labels on the sides-- The Original Crisis, What is Weapon?, Confidential - Daughter's Record: 10th Day after birth, and another marked ten days later.

_At least it's 'daughter' and not 'specimen_,_'_ she thought.

Still, the titles alone proved nothing. She pulled out the last in the group and inserted it into the VCR, taking a moment to find the power button for the machine.

And she watched her mother, Ifalna, and an older man with disheveled brown hair and a gentle manner--Professor Gast?-- spoke to one another in friendly, almost joking tones. _Darling_, she called him.

She watched as Hojo burst in with two soldiers, and her mother stepped back in fear. Ifalna tried to give herself up, but Professor Gast--her father--would not have it. The camera's video feed failed. Brave words, gunshots, screams, sobs, and Hojo's satisfied chuckle. The tape ended.

Aeris stared blankly at the monitor. At length, she ejected the tape from the VCR, put it back on the shelf, and turned off the machines, every motion strictly mechanical. Then she turned to Sephiroth, her voice a bit shaken. It was not every day you discovered your father to be the last person imaginable, found him a person worth knowing, and listened to his death all within the span of a few minutes. "All right. I'm at a loss here. How does that help you, showing me that?"

"I thought you could add it to your list of futile sacrifices," he replied coolly. "You have a number already, and you will have more by the time it is all over."

"What was he supposed to do?" she asked softly. "Step aside and let it happen, then let Shinra take him into custody and eliminate any chance he might have had? They wouldn't have let him go free, that's for sure. They'd probably have made him work for them again."

"But was it not incredibly foolish of him to attack armed guards without a weapon or any skill in fighting? What point is there in dying when you accomplish nothing? Why take such a risk when your life will surely be forfeit and nothing will come of it?"

She shook her head, seeing the logic of his words but unable to accept them. "Maybe he did accomplish something. A gesture of defiance." She looked pointedly at Sephiroth. "He didn't let Shinra use him."

Sephiroth's lack of response to her barb rendered it ineffectual. "And he demonstrated to Ifalna just how impossible defiance was. Captivity or death. She chose not to abandon you, though no doubt she could have been happier in 'returning to the Planet' than in becoming a specimen. Of course, with your escape, she made another useless sacrifice, yes?"

"To get me away from the Shinra, to somewhere safer..." Aeris murmured. "It wasn't useless. She got me out of the lab."

He looked her over, and the intensity of his gaze made her shudder. "And what are you, Aeris? The last of your kind. A pitiful excuse for a Cetra. A bony flower girl from the slums. Alone, nearly starving, condemned to whatever fate I choose for you. What good did your mother do by saving _you_?"

She forced herself to meet his gaze, as steadily as she could. They shouldn't have, but his insults stung. _Bony?_ some faraway part of her mind echoed in dismay. "She made it possible for me to live long enough to stop you now. Holy is coming; you know it as well as I do. How do you expect to stop it? How do you expect to continue with your plan?"

"You underestimate me, Aeris," he said with a chilling smile. "I know what I am doing."

"Bluffing," she stated bluntly.

He appeared unruffled, continuing to watch her with those penetrating eyes. "You will see, once we reach the Promised Land."

Aeris's expression slowly shifted to a frown. "We're not headed towards the Promised Land," she said, confidence in this new fact growing with each word.

"Not the one spoken of by your kind perhaps, but a Promised Land all the same."

"The Shinra's kind, you mean," she added with some disgust.

Sephiroth merely shrugged. "It suits my needs, and that is all that matters."

"And Jenova?"

"Hers as well, of course. I act for her."

"Why serve her?"

"We share a common goal, and she is older, wiser. Why not?"

Aeris shook her head. "If she's only using you--"

"She is not."

"How can you be so certain?"

"I know her, as you do not." He moved for the door. "Come."

Still frowning, she followed him back outside, flinching and nearly recoiling from the blast of cold that greeted her.

* * *

The man at the edge of the half-dead and dying thicket blinked rapidly in astonishment as the unlikely pair approached. He stared first at Sephiroth, then at Aeris, quickly averting his gaze and looking back at the silver-haired warrior.

"H-hey!" he stuttered finally, just as they passed by him. "It's dangerous that way!"

Aeris bit her lip and looked to Sephiroth, hoping he would not kill the man for no other reason than for warning him of things that posed no threat to him.

But the swordsman merely shot the man a glare and continued on without even a slight pause in his step. She hurried after him.

On the far side of the stand of trees, a slope stretched down into white oblivion, growing steeper and steeper as it went. Boulders gave it rough borders on either side, and some debris littered the main path downwards. Sephiroth started down it without word or hesitation, and Aeris had no choice but to follow him now, too.

She grew less sure of her footing as the incline grew steeper, and, inevitably, she slipped backwards and fell, sliding a little in the snow. She sat up, but doubted she could climb to her feet. She watched Sephiroth's back, shivering, then called after him, "Carry me?"

He did not respond.

Aeris raised her voice, unsteady though it was. "I can't f-follow you here!"

Nothing.

She struggled to her feet, making it over to one wall of boulders after a few falls. Using the rocks to steady herself, she managed to keep a faster pace without falling for some time. But with her fatigue, it did not seem like she had much longer before she collapsed and failed to rise. So she tried to catch up to Sephiroth, lest he forget about her entirely and leave her to die on this mountain.

She lost her footing again, and this time she went slipping and tumbling down the slope, coming to a stop only when she reached... something. She was too numb to feel what it was. Twisting and uncurling, she looked up.

"Insistent, aren't you?" Sephiroth queried flatly, and she realized she had collided with his legs.

"I- Ah..."

With a sigh, he picked her up, holding her against his chest. At first she was surprised he would warm her so, but then she remembered that he did not want her dead. He could not let her freeze to death, but he could keep her cold, exhausted, and starving, though the pain in her stomach had quieted, after an initial nausea that she had forced herself to ignore.

Aeris wanted to fall asleep in his arms, but doubted he would let her. Had it really been so long since she had last slept, or was it the cold playing tricks on her, making her feel more tired than she otherwise would have been?

She peered up at Sephiroth, studying his face, but could make out no expression. "You know," she commented drowsily, "for someone who's quite certain he's going to become a god, you don't look very happy."

"Why should I be happy, carrying you around?" he asked.

"Hmm. I was under the impression that, under normal circumstances, we might have been something resembling friends."

He scoffed, as though he couldn't imagine anything that would qualify as 'normal circumstances.'

"But then, you never had any friends."

"Hardly."

"It's a little sad..."

"You should not pity me."

"I'd pity anyone who couldn't tell truth from lies anymore."

"Then perhaps you should pity yourself," he suggested.

"I probably do make a pitiable figure," Aeris agreed in a murmur. "But self-pity would only make me worse off." She started as they passed by a huge snowman, a little wind-worn but still recognizable. "Umm... What was that?" she asked.

"A snowman."

"Yes, I can see that much," she said dryly. "What's it doing here?"

"This is a poorly-maintained snowboarding slope," Sephiroth answered. "I expect the snowmen are for decoration and obstacles."

"Snowboarding...? No wonder it's so steep. So why are we just walking down it?"

"Why not?"

"Wouldn't we get to the bottom faster if we snowboarded or something?"

He gave her a look, raising an eyebrow. "Do I look like a snowboarder?"

Aeris laughed. "You mean to tell me that the Great Sephiroth doesn't know how?" He scowled at her, and his expression only made her laugh harder, though she knew it was a bad idea. Still, she couldn't help it, and she felt that she needed to, whatever the consequences.

"You should not laugh," Sephiroth deadpanned.

She tried to stifle her sounds of mirth, but could not. "But... _you_... snowboarding...!"

He ran a finger along her jaw, and she felt it as a knife cutting to the bone. With a choked cry, she pressed a hand to the wound, drawing it away and finding--

There was no blood.

"Wha...?" she asked, staring blankly at her bare fingers as the pain faded from her jaw line.

"Illusions can seem quite real at times, yes?" Sephiroth asked her.

"Y-yes..." she agreed. "How did you...?"

His voice was indifferent once more, no longer angry now that he had stopped her laughter. "I have been able to deceive people this way for a long time. Your friend Cloud, I believe, is especially susceptible to illusions. In fact, he has managed to trap himself inside of one."

"What do you mean?" Aeris queried anxiously.

"He believes he is someone he is not. You suspected it, but you are not one to conclude that a 'friend' of yours is not even really a person."

"You're lying," she said. "Maybe he has gaps in his memory, but that doesn't mean he's not a person."

"Oh, really?" Sephiroth asked. "Perhaps you should speak to Tifa when you see her next. She knows more than you think."

"Tifa...?" The significance of his statement made her brighten. "You mean you'll let me see her again? I'll get to see my friends again?"

"Eventually, although by then I am not certain you will care."

"Of course I will. Gods and Planet both, it'll be good to see them..."

"Your enthusiasm is disgusting."

"You're just jealous," she told him. "If you had friends like mine, you'd miss them, too."

"Would I?" he queried, and there was something almost wistful in his tone. Or was she imagining things again?

"You would," she answered.

Sephiroth scoffed, his gaze finally shifting from her to the landscape before them.

_Do you know what you do to him, child?_

Aeris started. _Planet?_ she thought, not daring to speak its name aloud.

_Torn, but barely. The Crisis from the Sky keeps him tightly. Be careful._

I knew this would be a hard game from the start, Planet, but what have I got to lose? I thought I'd be dead by now.

Not dead. You have chosen the harder path. I cannot understand, but I am glad and I am worried.

I'll be all right.

I hope so.

Planet... why haven't you spoken before now? I... I would have appreciated just hearing your voice.

He was not letting me.

She frowned in puzzlement, and worry. If he could interfere with her connection to the Planet... _Then why now?_ she asked, interrupting herself before the thought could go too far.

_Don't know. But I think it is a good sign._

...then you think he cares?

About you? Certainly.

Aeris closed her eyes. _Then I'm glad, too._

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Something I noticed on editing this: there wind up being entirely too many scenes that start with people waking up. If I wanted to get more serious about fixing this up, I'd probably go back and change most of them. But I didn't notice until I was more than halfway through and didn't feel like working out how to fix them. Just pretend I did something more creative.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The mismatched group that Cloud and the others had left behind in Coral Valley finally reached the exit to the caves, the two humans squinting at the sunlight that reflected off of the snow fields.

After some argument, the group had made Cid their leader--though Barret seemed about as thrilled with the decision as Cid was--and he was the first to step out into the snow. Dark circles shaded his eyes, and his unshaven face seemed bordering on a short beard now. He was tired, but he had been the most insistent that they should continue on in an attempt to catch up with the others.

Vincent was not far behind him, eyes quickly adjusting from the darkness. He didn't show any exhaustion, and no one was sure if he had slept at all on the journey. Barret had tried asking once, but the only answer he'd received was a shrug. They'd decided it was quite possible Vincent hadn't slept since they'd roused him from his coffin in Nibelheim. He'd been silent throughout the trek, speaking only when spoken to, if at all. The others gave him his space, and he pretended not to notice.

Cait Sith ambled along some paces behind Vincent. He hadn't spoken for some time, and Cid had concluded that whoever controlled the cat had fallen asleep. The thing had been a nuisance, but Avalanche needed all the help it could get, and they were starting to get insider information about the Shinra anyway. Still, Cid had more than once threatened to pull Mog's stuffing out to make the damn thing lighter and less bulky on their way up the cliffs.

Barret trailed along behind the others, grumbling under his breath. It seemed strange that the big man was the only one of the group to complain; every now and then he would protest that they had been on their feet for way too long and ask for a break. And every time, Cid would curse at him until he shut up.

None of them had rested more than an hour since the City of the Ancients. As Cid stared across the vast expanse of snow that they had yet to cross, he felt even more tired than he had before. He came to a halt only a few meters out from the cave, staring. It was pretty damn cold out there, too.

He glanced at Barret as he came out into the sunlight, figuring he probably couldn't go much farther either. They were both dead tired. Cait Sith was a fucked up stuffed animal, and so didn't sleep. Vincent... well, he was a weirdo, and so didn't sleep, apparently.

Cid sighed. "Fuck it. We're resting."

"YES!" Barret exclaimed triumphantly and promptly sat down in the snow by the cave's exit.

Cait Sith showed no reaction, sitting motionless. Yeah, whoever operated it was sleeping.

Vincent glanced briefly at Barret, then fixed his gaze on Cid. "They can't be far ahead of us," he pointed out.

Cid followed his gesture to a set of tracks heading out across the snow, and ran a hand through his hair; he hadn't even noticed. "Yeah, but... Shit, Vince, I'm fuckin' tired. I can't last two fucking _minutes_, much less the hours it's gonna take."

The ex-Turk blinked at him; Cid had never heard the man curse, and he didn't seem used to hearing strong language used repeatedly. "I suppose not," Vincent agreed, almost reluctantly. "They must have rested, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The pilot turned back for the cave, yelling irritably to Barret, "Hey, Barret, get yer ass up! You sleep out here an' you'll freeze to death."

The huge man grumbled unintelligibly, but he got to his feet and followed Cid back into the cave. Cait Sith and Vincent followed in silence. Cid collapsed on the stony floor, lay down using his pack as a pillow, and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

He had to end it soon. He had to get rid of her, before she... This had to end.

But he had yet to finish with her. She could endure much more before she would fall to her knees, and he had still to inflict it upon her. This was neither the time nor the place, however, on the lower slopes of the mountains just south of the Great Glacier. Sephiroth would have to be patient, and for once he had difficulty in waiting.

_I told you that you should have killed her_, Jenova said.

_My feelings are nothing_, he replied. _It takes but a moment to suppress them. You should know that. In any case, I should be rid of her soon. Only another day of this._

You mean to kill her at last?

No. He glanced down at the woman in his arms. She had fallen asleep somehow, and he thought again that she was far too trusting. _No. But she will wish I had._

Jenova sent the impression of a sigh. _I suppose that's the best I can hope for._

"Wake up," he said aloud to Aeris.

Her lashes fluttered, but her eyes did not open. "Mmm?"

"Aeris."

She opened her eyes, blinked sleepily at him, and finally gave a start. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly.

"Hmph." She slept too heavily, he thought, or perhaps it was the cold affecting her. He could not be certain because he had never been human enough for such weaknesses.

"Intent on depriving me of sleep?" she asked.

"Among other things."

Aeris was silent for a moment. "How far behind us are Cloud and the others?" she asked.

"Does it matter? They will not catch up."

"I guess not," she agreed with a sigh. "I'm just... I hope they're not too worried about me."

Sephiroth did not reply. Why was she even talking to him? Did she expect him to reassure her? Did she think he cared?

_Did_ he care?

It was a mere physical attraction; of course he didn't. She would no longer distract him once he left her behind. She would not linger in his thoughts. She would be broken, and then he could forget her.

"Sephiroth?" Aeris queried softly.

He spared her a glance.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" She didn't mean their destination, and he knew it.

"I know exactly where I am going."

She shook her head. "You seem lost to me. You're only going on because you think you've got nowhere else to go."

Sephiroth scoffed.

"That's it, isn't it?" she asked, peering into his face, searching. "You think this is your fate? You think you can't escape it?"

"You know nothing, Aeris."

"Then enlighten me, please. I... I want to know you."

He forced himself to keep moving as before, not to let the effect of her words show. He felt she meant it this time, and she could not know that such a confession meant anything to him. He resisted the urge to look at her. "What for?"

"Do I have to have a reason?" she replied.

"Most people feel some kind of affection for a person before they truly desire to know them. I have done nothing to earn your liking, unless you've gone mad."

"I haven't gone mad," Aeris stated indignantly. "There's just... There _is_ something about you--don't try to deny it. You're not always what you seem. But I can't figure it out."

"So you want to know me," he said flatly.

"Yes."

He glanced at her again. "Are you certain you still possess your sanity?"

She laughed a bit. She _laughed_. "Yes, I'm certain. You couldn't have been like this before Nibelheim. People would have breathed your name in fear then, not awe."

"No one knew me then either, if you recall."

"Still, you must have been different then, or people would have feared you more."

"I was ignorant then, and that is the only difference."

Aeris hesitated. "Zack said you seemed depressed. Not angry or violent like you are now, just... sad."

She had known Zack?

"So?" he queried.

"Well, I'm guessing he was one of the few who knew you at all. What he said had to be true, or at least close to it."

"Zack was hardly perceptive," Sephiroth scoffed.

"But he wasn't an idiot," Aeris said, sounding almost offended. "He surprised me sometimes."

"And what was he to you?"

She looked away. "Why should _you_ care?"

"I don't. But it is easier to tear a person apart when you know what matters to them." He tilted his head, watching her. "Was he your lover, hmm?"

She did not answer. _This_ was interesting.

"It has been five years anyway. I fail to see why it should still bother you."

Aeris looked back at him, eyes searching his face. "I never learned what happened to him. He went on a mission, and I never saw him again. It bothers me because it never ended properly, but... You killed him, didn't you?"

"I cannot be certain of that," Sephiroth said lightly. "The wounds I inflicted may have proved fatal, or not. I did not care to stay and watch."

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she managed not to show much pain at his callousness. "Then he _did_ go to Nibelheim. Cloud... Cloud should have known him. Cloud should have at least mentioned another SOLDIER. And they..." She trailed off.

"The puppet is not what he pretends to be."

The Cetra shook her head. "No, he... He's not pretending. I don't think he remembers."

"And still you retain your faith in him," Sephiroth remarked derisively.

"I have to. Without him, the others would falter, and then who would stop you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "So you think now that your efforts were useless?"

"No. But you don't need Meteor to be a danger. When that fails, who's to say you won't continue killing? Someone has to stop you, and Cloud and his friends seem to be the most likely candidates. Although, I'm not sure death is what you deserve."

"What do you think I deserve, if not death?"

"You deserve a long life. Full of suffering."

He laughed. "Spiteful, aren't you? I suppose it is not surprising, but you seem not to bear me any hatred. Not like Cloud and Tifa."

"It takes a lot for me to hate someone," she said quietly.

"It seems so."

Aeris fell silent.

He let her be. He had learned enough from that exchange that he could wound her with it later, when the opportunity arose. For now, let her think in silence and uncertainty on Zack's death, about which he'd provided her no answers. Let her think on the puppet's tangled mind, and when they met again, let her try to get any answers from him. He remembered _nothing_ of Zack.

But Tifa remembered.

He anticipated watching them as their doubt in their leader grew. Even more entertaining would be watching Cloud's faith in himself fail. It was already failing. The puppet doubted his sanity, wondered if he could accomplish the task which he had set out to do, even wondered if his friends could still trust him.

Wouldn't it be something, if he actually killed one of them?

"Sephiroth...?" Aeris queried anxiously, almost as though she'd sensed his thoughts. Her concern, however, had more to do with his immediate plans.

"Yes, I know the slope drops off," he replied curtly. "No, I am not going to waste time climbing down."

She looked confused, but she kept her mouth shut.

Quickening his pace to a run, Sephiroth reached the edge of the cliff and leapt off. Aeris's eyes went wide, and she clung to his coat, as if somehow that would prevent her from suffering a bone-shattering fall. Not that she was going to die that way, but she seemed to think so.

An air spell set the snow on the ground in a flurry, but landed him safely. He started forward through the snow as though he had never lost a step.

The Cetra blinked slowly, then loosened her grip and frowned. He could feel her heart rate calming. "You could have told me," she said.

"I had thought you intelligent enough to know I would not commit suicide by falling off a cliff," he answered dryly.

"You might have dropped me."

Perhaps she did have a point. "I have better things to do with you."

"Such as?"

He smirked at her as he looked her over, openly admiring her curves. She squirmed, trying to struggle free of his grip. But she could travel through the snow no better now than she could have before, so he only held her more tightly.

Finally, she let her muscles relax, looking away with her mouth set in a frown. "Where are we now?" she asked brusquely.

"Great Glacier," he answered.

"It's colder here," she said, anxiety softening her tone.

"It is."

Aeris looked back at him, and she was beginning to shiver however much she tried to keep her body still. "If we don't find shelter soon, I... Your holding me l-like this won't prevent m-me from freezing to death. _Y-you_ could freeze to death."

Sephiroth snorted. "You should know I am too strong for that. You should also know that I don't want you dead just yet."

"...because I'm not b-broken yet."

"Exactly."

He held her a little closer as he walked on, and she pressed her face against his chest, trying to keep out of the wind and the snow. In the back of his mind, Jenova grumbled about the 'kindness' he was showing her. He had to scoff at that, but Aeris did not seem to notice.

Rock rose up on either side of the path, providing at least some shield from the strong wind that blew here, pelting them with snow. It did not bother him so much, but Aeris was, after all, nearly naked. And she was right; if they--if _he_ did not find shelter soon, she would die. Keeping her warm enough to escape harm had stretched the precision of his spells already; an experiment to accommodate this change in temperature might simply kill her.

He knew where he was going, though.

Nearly two hours later, they came upon a river frozen over with ice. Snow had fallen and covered most of its surface, making it difficult even to identify, but easy to walk across.

In his arms, Aeris's shivering had grown more violent, her skin pale and her extremities blue. Frowning, he quickened his pace.

_Anxious about her dying, I see_, Jenova remarked disapprovingly.

_It is not my intention to let her die now_, he replied.

_But why should you care if she does die? What does her death matter to you? Certainly you want to break her, but so what if she dies?_

Why let her die when only a little extra effort will save her?

...save her? she queried suspiciously.

He strode a little faster. _For more suffering, of course._

Of course, she repeated. Obviously she did not believe him, and the whole affair had begun to anger her, rather than simply annoy her. _As long as you get rid of her soon and come to join me._

I will be with you soon, Mother.

Good.

Sephiroth continued across the snow at a lope, not slowing until he reached the lone house at the base of Gaea's Cliffs. He had never been inside of it, but he did not waste time knocking. He kicked open the door, felt warmth from a nearby fire wash over him, and actually sighed in relief. Relief!

He would definitely be glad to have her gone. Fun to torture she may have been, but she was a nuisance nonetheless.

He laid her down before the fire with a frown. She had since stopped shivering, and just this warmth would not be enough.

"So that's why you came barging in."

Sephiroth looked up, noting the presence of a man with surprisingly tanned skin and grey hair. He looked back at Aeris without speaking.

The man moved to close the door, having a bit of difficulty with the lock and knob broken. He must have ended up propping something against the door to keep it closed. He returned to crouch down near Sephiroth. "What happened to her?"

The swordsman still did not answer and kept his gaze on Aeris. It seemed he would have to puzzle out some sort of spell after all.

"Well, I can see you're worried about her anyway," the man decided, quickly rocking back to his feet. "I'll fetch some blankets."

_Worried?_ Sephiroth wondered as the man vanished, reappearing moments later with an armful of blankets which he then moved to heap atop Aeris.

"I'm Holzoff, by the way," he offered, somewhat awkwardly.

"...Sephiroth," he said finally.

"Sephiroth, huh? Interesting name." Clearly the man had never heard of him before. He nodded to the Cetra girl. "How long has she been out in the cold like that?"

"A while." With the slightest hesitation, Sephiroth removed one glove and touched the cold skin of Aeris's arm. Healing spells had never been his specialty, as his part had always been killing rather than saving lives. Still, when he set himself to it, it did not take as long as he had thought to puzzle out a weave that would aid her recovery.

He sat back, the feeling of relief strengthening even as he tried to suppress it. "She will be fine," he told Holzoff, who was watching him curiously.

The man nodded, trusting his word. "That's good. I'll... ah... get something for you to warm up then." He stood and disappeared into the next room.

Sephiroth watched him go without informing him the action was unnecessary. He wondered briefly why he bothered to let the man live, but supposed it would be better if he waited until Aeris was conscious to see him die.

For now, however, she needed to recover from the cold, and they both needed to rest. Heedless of whatever Holzoff might think, he lay down near the Cetra and closed his eyes. Just for an hour or two, all he wanted was to sleep.

* * *

Aeris slowly opened her eyes, finding herself staring up at wooden rafters lit by a fire's flickering light. She blinked slowly, brow furrowing in confusion. Where was she?

And how could she possibly be so warm?

Shaking her head to clear it, she managed to push herself up on an elbow and noticed for the first time the blankets piled atop her. She stared at the cloth for a moment before her gaze went a little farther, finding Sephiroth asleep on his back hardly a foot away.

He really... didn't look like a killer in his sleep. His face was unmarked by aggression or arrogance or mockery. He couldn't leer in his sleep. Instead, only a slight frown touched his lips, as though an unpleasant dream were playing in his mind.

"Ah, so you're awake."

Aeris gave a start at the voice, tearing her gaze away from Sephiroth and looking around. In the periphery of her vision, she thought he might have flinched.

She found a man standing in a doorway some distance from them, a friendly smile on his face. "H-hello," she said, more surprised that he was still alive than she was at finding a person living this far north.

"Hello, miss," he replied. "Glad to see you're doing all right. You looked pretty pale when he came running in with you."

She glanced at the swordsman. He had run to get her here? He didn't want her dead just yet, but she had never expected him to go out of his way just to make certain she lived. She faltered, searching for words. "Where is this?" she asked finally.

"At the base of Gaea's Cliffs," he answered. "My name's Holzoff."

"I'm Aeris." She hesitated. "This is Sephiroth, though you probably already knew that."

"Yeah, he told me."

Aeris paused again. "You mean you didn't recognize him?"

Holzoff shook his head. "Never seen him before. I'm guessing he's someone famous down south?"

She nodded.

"I've been living here for twenty years, Miss Aeris," he explained. "Not many people come this way, so I haven't heard much news at all for a long time."

"Twenty years," she murmured in amazement. How could a person be alone for so long? She looked around the room again, noting the fur rug, the old couch, the hunting rifles, and the array of knives laid out on a nearby table. Glancing at Sephiroth, she considered taking one, but decided it would do her no good.

"Are you hungry?" Holzoff asked her.

"Yes, yes, I am, but..." She trailed off, casting her captor another glance.

"Go ahead," he said, startling her.

"How long have you been awake?" she demanded, staring at him.

He had not moved a muscle save to speak, and now he only smirked.

"Impossible man," she muttered, gathering the heaviest blanket about her shoulders as she stood. Well, at least he had no objections to her having the blanket or to her eating.

Aeris carefully stepped over Sephiroth, knowing that kicking him would only amuse him. She stopped beside him, though, watching Holzoff uncertainly. He had moved to the back of the room, and was doing something with his back to her. After a moment, he turned around and handed her a plate with some food on it. Not warm, not spiced, but it was food, and she thanked the Planet for it.

_Was worried about you_, it confided to her.

She smiled very faintly as she sat down on the couch, the plate in her lap. _I'm all right now, Planet. Sephiroth's being oddly nice--for him--at the moment. There's probably a catch, but for now I'm just glad to be warm and with food again._

He will not let you die, the Planet told her with certainty.

_I guess that's reassuring_, she remarked doubtfully as she started eating.

_Not sure that it is a good thing. I am thinking that perhaps you would prefer death to what may come._

Aeris hesitated. _If he deprives me of my desire to live, Planet, then he's won. And he hasn't done that yet. I want to keep on living, no matter what it takes. Life is precious; that's become clearer to me the closer I've come to dying._

I do not quite understand, but be strong, child. Harder days are ahead.

I'll manage, she said. She sighed and frowned, glancing again at Sephiroth. _Somehow._

Holzoff leaned closer to her and said in a low voice, "I don't mean to be rude, Miss Aeris, but I don't see why you should bear him such hard feelings."

She blinked and looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"He did save your life after all," he continued quietly, apparently believing that Sephiroth could not hear him.

"It's his fault we got into this situation in the first place," she stated, shooting the swordsman a glare. He lay on his back with his hands behind his head now, staring at the ceiling, and he looked decidedly amused. She most definitely could not be nice to him all the time.

Holzoff frowned slightly. "Well, even so, he looked genuinely concerned for you."

She shook her head. "You don't know him, Mr. Holzoff. He couldn't feel genuinely concerned for anyone, much less me. But I suppose I'm just glad I'm alive for now."

Sephiroth's smirk faded to a frown. What was he thinking about? Or was it something she had said?

"You're lucky to be alive," Holzoff agreed. "It's terribly cold this far north, and you weren't even wearing... uh... clothes..."

She looked back at their host, and gave a wry smile. "It's better not to ask."

He was silent for a while as she ate. Then he took her empty plate and asked, "Are you two headed farther north?"

"Yes," Aeris answered.

"Then you'd better be prepared for it. The wind on that cliff is steady, and the cold goes right through you." He hesitated. "It's much colder than here, with that wind."

_Colder than here...?_ she wondered in amazement. She guessed the stony paths to the cliffs had provided some shelter, but on the cliff there would be nothing. If she had nearly frozen to death here, Gaea's Cliffs would be far worse.

She nodded. "Excuse me for a moment..." She stood, walked over to Sephiroth, and crouched down near him. He kept his gaze on the ceiling as she spoke. "You've said that you don't want me dead till I'm broken," she whispered. "I'll need clothes, warm clothes, if we're going to climb the cliffs. If Holzoff has any to give me, will you consent? Otherwise, I'll be more of a nuisance to you than I have been."

His eyes did not so much as flicker, and his expression remained blank. "Very well. Ask him then."

Aeris blinked, still surprised that he had consented. She wondered for a moment if there was something wrong with him, but decided he must have just realized that she was right.

She straightened and turned back to Holzoff. "You know... If it's not too much to ask, do you have any clothing I could borrow?"

Holzoff nodded and beckoned her to follow him as he walked into the next room. "Come on, I'll see what I can find for you."

Aeris glanced back at Sephiroth before trailing after him. Couldn't he, though, have told her to wait until just before they left? What was he up to? Gods, now he was making her paranoid.

_Enjoy it while you can_, she told herself as Holzoff led her over to a wooden chest. _It can't last._

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The interlude at Holzoff's house remains one of my favorite parts. I guess it's the closest Aeris and Sephiroth get to interacting in a normal way in this story, so it sort of stands out. More of it in the next chapter, as well as checking up on Cloud and company.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"It's so cold, and I'm free-zing...!"

"Yuffie--" Nanaki cut in, but the young ninja only continued more loudly in her sing-song tone.

"If only stealing Red's warm fur were ea-sy, I'd--"

"Yuffie." It was Tifa's voice this time, threaded with weary impatience.

The girl looked back at her cheekily. "What?"

Tifa sighed. "This is bad enough without your complaining."

"But I was just--"

"I don't care what you call it, but please, just shut up."

Nanaki was relieved to have the girl's silence again, but he could not help feeling a little sorry for her; ever since she had stolen the group's materia back in Wutai, they had all been rather mistrustful and harsh towards her. It seemed unfair, considering her motives, and her age. Youths made mistakes, did they not? If he had thought theft would help his beloved Cosmo Canyon, he would have committed such an act without a second thought.

Still, Yuffie was not the most pleasant of companions, and she seemed to bear him an inexplicable dislike. Perhaps it was simple rivalry--they were of the same age group (sort of), and he was the more favored of the two. But whatever the reason, he did not appreciate the occasional derisive comments and tugs at his mane. Feigning indifference was the best he could do, as he had no wish to provide her with justification or illustrate that one more member of Avalanche held her in poor regards.

But he could not bring himself to act friendly towards the girl.

"How long have we been traipsing around anyway?" Yuffie asked, bringing his attention back to their present situation: following tracks in a broad expanse of snow fields north of the City of the Ancients. Tracks that seemed always on the verge of disappearing, rather than growing fresher.

Nanaki turned his head to observe the sun's position in the sky with his good eye, but Cloud answered first. "About seven hours or so, I'd say. Maybe a little longer."

"And no, we won't be taking another break," Tifa added, with a sharp glance in the ninja's direction. "It's only been an hour since we last stopped."

Yuffie scowled, displeased with her patronizing tone. "When will we be stopping then?"

"Probably around sunset," Cloud told her.

"That late? Gawd, I'll be exhausted by then!"

"What did you expect?" Nanaki asked of her. "If we are even to keep pace with Sephiroth, we must run ourselves to exhaustion. As it is, we are falling behind." He tossed his head in frustration. "If only we had a better means of transportation."

"Yeah, chocobos would be nice," Yuffie muttered in grudging agreement.

"Maybe we'll find something when we reach Snow Village," Tifa suggested.

"You mean people actually live this far north?" the girl asked incredulously. Obviously the cold climate was too harsh even for a Wutain-born. Winters there in the mountains were said to be quite bad.

Of course, it was not winter in the Icicle area, and the temperatures were already well below freezing.

"There has been a human population in this area for quite some time," Nanaki informed the group. "In fact, I believe Elder Hargo once said the Ancients themselves lived around Snow Village thousands of years ago."

"I thought the Ancients were nomads," Tifa commented thoughtfully. "So why do they have so many old settlements?"

"If you refer to the Temple of the Ancients, that is easily explained--it was not a settlement but a measure of protection. A fortress, as it were. Snow Village, I am sure, was no permanent or extravagant home. Likely they lived off the land without doing it any harm. As for their city... I cannot say. Perhaps Aeris knows."

He regretted mentioning her immediately, seeing his companions' expressions grow bleak.

"Her or Sephiroth," Cloud added bitterly.

There followed a short silence.

"Let's hurry," Tifa said.

Everyone agreed, and they quickened their pace. Yuffie did not complain.

* * *

She accepted what clothing Holzoff had to offer, shrugging it off when he apologized for the size. "It's all right," she assured him. "I'm just glad to have something warm to wear."

Holzoff looked as though he wanted to ask her why she had been wearing next to nothing, but only scratched his head and walked back into the next room, leaving her alone.

Aeris let the blanket fall from her shoulders without checking to see if Sephiroth was watching through the doorway and swiftly donned the ill-fitting garments. Holzoff, while shorter than her captor, was still considerably taller than her. She had to roll up the pant legs to keep from tripping over them; the shirt sleeves half-covered her hands; one of Holzoff's belts managed to keep the pants up, just at her hips.

He had pulled out an old, well-worn coat for her, too, but she did not need that now. She left it folded atop the chest, glanced down at her bare feet with a frown, and walked back into the other room with the blanket in hand.

Sephiroth had sat up, and his eyes flicked towards her when she entered. He looked her up and down with apparent disapproval, but all he said was, "Hardly flattering."

"It's not bad," Holzoff disagreed with a puzzled look at the swordsman. The poor man must have been having trouble figuring out exactly what the relationship between the two was.

Aeris smiled faintly. Smiling seemed harder now than it had been. "Thank you again, Mr. Holzoff. You're very kind, feeding and clothing me and giving shelter to the both of us."

He shrugged it off. "It's nothing. I'm just happy to have company for a change."

She handed the blanket to their host and flopped back down on the sofa. After a moment, she glanced at Sephiroth. "So, how long are we staying here?" she asked hesitantly.

"Your friends are lagging behind. We will wait here a while." He had turned towards the fire and sat cross-legged with his back towards her. She always hated it when she could not see his face, though she could rarely read it anyway.

"Until they get here?" she asked, knowing that couldn't possibly be true.

"Until they reach the Glacier."

"Oh..."

"You know," Holzoff put in, "this is the last rest stop you'll find this far north. It's really the best place to meet up with your friends."

Sephiroth ignored him, instead glancing over his shoulder at Aeris. "They will be some time in catching up. You might as well rest up before we move on."

Though his words, seemingly born of a worry for her well-being, surprised her greatly, Aeris managed another smile. It came a little easier this time. "I'll be all right for a while longer."

He nodded slightly and turned back to the fire.

Holzoff shook his head. "The boy says he doesn't need anything, but I figure he's got to be hungry. I was hoping you could talk some sense into him, Miss Aeris. It wouldn't do for his pride to kill him."

She bit off a spiteful remark and said instead, "No, he's really fine. He's a little... stronger than the rest of us, I guess you could say." She looked up at their host. "And just call me 'Aeris.'"

He nodded. "All right."

"On the other hand..." How far could she push her luck? she wondered. "Do you happen to have a brush, Mr. Holzoff?"

"A brush? No... I do have a comb, though. Did you want to use it for your hair?"

Aeris shook her head. "Actually, I was thinking Sephiroth's hair is a bit tangled."

The remark earned her a glance from her captor that almost appeared startled.

Holzoff chuckled. "You're probably right. I'll go fetch it for you." He left the room and came back a moment later, handing her a wooden comb.

She nodded her thanks and moved to crouch behind Sephiroth. Wordlessly, she lifted a silver lock and began working out the knots in his hair, starting at the ends as Elmyra had advised her when she was little.

The swordsman only glanced at her over his shoulder, scoffed, and went back to staring into the flames.

It took her quite a while to get the comb through all of his hair--it was probably even longer than hers, and the wind had tangled it horribly. When she finished, she set the comb down, separated the silver strands into three locks, and cautiously began to braid his hair.

"Leave it down," he told her quietly.

She leaned to the side so she could peer at his face. Still no expression. "Won't it get in your way on the cliffs?" she asked.

He sighed, but did not reply.

She took it for a 'fine, I give up,' and continued. She reached the end, pulled the tie from the end of her own hair, and used it to secure his braid. "There," she said pleasantly. "All done."

Sephiroth glanced at her, looking annoyed by her cheerfulness, however false it was. Or was just a little of it real? She herself didn't quite know.

"Well?" she prompted.

"It will do."

"I think you're supposed to thank the lady," Holzoff said with a laugh.

Both blinked at him, having forgotten his presence. Sephiroth soon scoffed and looked away. Aeris sighed and climbed to her feet, snatching up the comb. She went through her own hair as quickly as she could, returned the comb to Holzoff, and decided she really was tired enough to get some more sleep. She had no idea how long she had been out before, but obviously it hadn't been long enough.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Holzoff, I'll be going to sleep on your couch here."

"Go right ahead, Mi--Aeris," he replied with a smile. "While you're here, feel free treat this house as your own."

"Thank you," she said, stifling a yawn. She glanced at Sephiroth, lay down on the couch, and soon fell asleep.

* * *

They had reached the opposite mountain range, and by Cloud's estimation, they had only to travel around its foothills and across considerably less vast snow fields to reach Snow Village. It was probably only another six hours away, but Yuffie and Tifa looked exhausted, and even Nanaki seemed weary. And, he had to admit to himself, he was tired, too.

He led the group onward until he spotted a rocky cleft in the foothills, where they could at least be sheltered against the wind. Here, he stopped and turned to his companions. "We'll rest here for a while," he announced.

They all looked visibly relieved, and Yuffie sat down in the snow. "It's about time," she said, looking at him accusingly, as if it were his fault she was tired. In part, he guessed it was, but they had to move as fast as they could if they were going to catch up to Sephiroth. "The sun must've set _hours_ ago."

"Only one hour," Nanaki corrected half-heartedly as he scratched at the ground, clearing away the snow from where he intended to sleep.

Tifa was setting up her sleeping bag not far from the feline, and she glanced at Cloud. "How much farther do we have to go?"

He shrugged, trying not to look hesitant about setting up his own sleeping bag near hers. "I figure we sleep for four or five hours and then move on, and we'll be in Snow Village tomorrow morning."

"Mm," she replied. She glanced away for a moment. "We'll rest longer when we get there, right?" she asked quietly.

Cloud followed her gaze to where Yuffie was fumbling with her gear, already falling asleep. "Yeah," he said with a sigh. "We all need more sleep than we've been getting, I know. I told Cid we'd meet up in Snow Village anyway, so if they're very far behind us, we should have plenty of time to rest up."

"They'll need to rest, too," Tifa reminded him gently.

He frowned, dropping his gaze. "Yeah, I know..."

She laid a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to find her smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry, Cloud. I'm sure Aeris is all right, and we'll find her soon."

"I hope you're right, Teef. If Sephiroth's hurt her..." He shook his head. "No, never mind. Let's just get some sleep while we can."

Tifa nodded silently and climbed into her sleeping bag, closing her eyes to rest.

Cloud sat up watching her for a long moment after her breathing had softened in sleep. Exhaustion dominated her face, plainer now without her conscious efforts to hide it behind a smile. Dark shadows lay beneath the soft brush of her lashes, and her hair fell disheveled over her shoulder and into her face. He wondered, if Sephiroth had taken _her_, if he would have stopped even for these few hours.

It wasn't a question he really wanted the answer to.

With a sigh, Cloud tucked himself into his sleeping bag, turning his back on her and shutting his eyes in an attempt to invite sleep.

* * *

Aeris woke with a start, eyes wild from some nightmare she could no longer remember. She looked around to regain her bearings and took a deep breath to slow her racing pulse. Finally, she relaxed, and got to her feet. The knives laid out on Holzoff's table caught her eye, and she wondered if it could really hurt to take one in the end.

"They are useless to you."

Aeris jumped and turned to find Sephiroth leaning against the wall not three feet from her. His gaze was set steadily on her and his tone was flat.

"Your skill as a fighter leaves a great deal to be desired."

"You wouldn't kill me, though," she replied. She wondered which was worse--the forgotten nightmare from which she had awakened, or this madness.

He shrugged. "Do you really need your fingers to live?"

She sighed in exasperation. "So you're back to normal today, are you? Did your mother scold you for playing nice?"

He scowled at her. "You think I am her puppet, do you? If I were, I would have killed you long ago."

"Well, that's an encouraging thought. Why didn't you kill me back in the very beginning? Surely one more corpse in the Shinra building wouldn't have been too hard to accomplish. You should have known even then that I was a threat to you."

"I admit, I was curious about you," he said.

"But why put off killing me for so long?"

He did not answer.

"Sephiroth--"

"Quiet. Holzoff is awake."

Aeris blinked. Was he actually putting on some sort of act for their host? It didn't seem like him to bother hiding anything when he could just kill whoever heard. Unless he did not plan on killing Holzoff. Would he leave him alive to guide Cloud in the right direction? She hoped so.

"How do you know?" was all said, and received no answer for her trouble.

She shook her head slightly, but in a few minutes Holzoff did indeed emerge from the room beyond, which she realized he must have used as a bedroom. He seemed surprised to find them both awake.

"Well," he said, "I didn't expect you to be up this early. If you two want breakfast, you'll have to wait a bit; I have to go out and hunt some down."

"I will go," Sephiroth said, moving to open the door.

Aeris took a step towards him, an absurd anxiety creeping into her voice. "Will you be coming back?" she asked.

He met her gaze coldly. "Why should you care if I do not?"

"I... I guess I don't."

"You should know better than to think I would leave you now."

She nodded a bit and watched as he disappeared into the cold. Yes, she should have known for certain that he would come back, but she had doubted it all the same. Why _did_ she worry that he might not come back? Certainly it would be better for her if he didn't.

Holzoff closed the door with a frown. "What's he thinking to hunt with?"

"He has a sword," Aeris replied absently, mostly to offer him some answer, as hunting with _that_ sword should have proved ridiculous.

"Didn't see him bring one in," he said doubtfully.

"I guess he left it outside then. Wouldn't want to appear more frightening than he already does by carrying it in with him."

"I'm not afraid of him," Holzoff told her. "And anyway, he was carrying you, and I didn't see a sheath on him."

Aeris sat down heavily on the couch. "Don't bother yourself over it, Mr. Holzoff. Most things with him don't make any sense."

Almost cautiously, he sat down beside her. "If you don't mind my asking, Aeris, what exactly is going on between you two?"

"That's none of your concern either."

He frowned again, this time in worry. "He really did look worried about you when he first came in, but he's been real cold since. Seems like you care about him, too, and I may be wrong, livin' out here twenty years without seeing much of people, but something strikes me as off about the whole thing."

She hesitated, and then took a breath. "Mr. Holzoff... I might as well warn you now--Sephiroth is a killer. I'm only alive because death isn't what he has planned for me. You should go now, while he's gone, and try to make it back to Snow Village. He wouldn't go that far out of his way just to murder you."

Her host blinked, and then gave an awkward chuckle. "You really must not like him, to make up something that terrible about him."

"But--"

"He may be a tough one, but he doesn't look like a killer. A killer wouldn't care so much about someone, even if he tries not to show it."

"He's just putting on an act. He can't possibly..." Aeris stopped. _But the Planet said... Didn't the Planet say he cares? It can't be wrong, can it?_ She shook her head. "Even a killer can show some kind of feeling. Please, you should go while you can."

Holzoff shrugged as he got to his feet. "If you don't want to tell me what's really going on, I guess that's all right. It isn't any of my business, after all. Just thought that maybe I could help."

Aeris watched him leave the room, and hung her head. She'd never had so much difficulty getting anyone but Sephiroth to believe her. She'd always been able to connect to them, instinctively, and understand what needed to be said. Had being with Sephiroth changed her so much already?

* * *

Yuffie woke to Tifa's persistent shaking and sat up, rubbing her eyes as she grumbled about a certain blond leader and his obsession with being awake. She had to wonder sometimes whether Tifa kept waking up first or if Cloud just had her wake the ninja because he knew Yuffie would strangle him if she saw him first. Their damned fearless leader was making her so fucking sleep-deprived she was starting to sound like Cid.

"Yuffie, come on, we are moving on," Nanaki said, already fully awake and nudging her arm with his nose.

She pushed him away with one hand. "Yeah, yeah, I'm up. Gimme a minute." She took a deep breath and pulled herself the rest of the way out of her sleeping bag, almost whimpering with the cold. It was bad enough they didn't get enough sleep, and then it was always cold whenever they got up. The sun hadn't even risen yet.

Already shivering, she gathered up her gear and unzipped her sleeping bag so she could wrap it around herself. The others stood waiting for her, and she scowled at them even as Tifa offered a 'good morning.'

"How much farther do we gotta go?" Yuffie asked irritably.

"We should be there in six or seven hours if we keep a good pace," Cloud answered, frowning in annoyance at her tone.

"Six or seven hours," she repeated. "I'm holding you to that. If we don't get there in seven hours, I don't give a shit how much farther we have to go--I'm gonna go to sleep and you'll have to carry me."

"And Cid's not even around," Tifa remarked, looking worried the same way a mother might. Hers was the only response Yuffie got. Cloud just turned around and started trudging through the snow. They had lost sight of the tracks some time ago, and now they were just following the blond around, trusting to his sense of direction.

Frankly, Yuffie didn't have too much confidence in his sense of direction, but Nanaki and Tifa seemed to agree they were headed the right way, so she went along with it.

After half an hour, she was already thinking about this Snow Village place and wondering if it had a good inn. Yeah, a nice warm room in an inn with a blazing fire and some hot chocolate. That sounded more like paradise at the moment than anything ever had before. Maybe she could even take a hot bath when they got there.

Too bad they were still some six hours away. Six hours seemed like a really long time, especially since she was pretty sure her toes had already frozen over and fallen off her feet. That sounded really gross in her head. They'd get to Snow Village, and she'd take off her shoes, and her toes would be all blue and purple, and they'd just come right off her feet. She'd have toeless stumps for feet for the rest of her life.

Grimacing with disgust, she tried to turn her thoughts back to that warm bath. That sounded more promising than frozen toes.

And food. What she wouldn't give for something hot and filling and spicy right about now! The group had run out of provisions the day before when they'd stopped briefly for an evening meal, and now she was _starving_. They'd never expected to come so far north when they left to follow Aeris. Or at least, Yuffie hadn't. Maybe the others had just been too preoccupied to think about stocking up when they got to Bone Village. They'd been all 'we've gotta find Aeris before Sephiroth kills her!'

It seemed to sum up the general attitude now, too. Not that Yuffie didn't share it, but she'd rather there not be a 'and let's not stop until we drop dead' clause tacked on. Finding Aeris was all well and good, but the ninja didn't much like being frozen and starving and tired all the time.

Wasn't saving the world supposed to be more glamorous than that? Where was the praise and the fame? And the money (and materia)?

Their bunch never got any of that. Well, okay, they got some reward for killing monsters and shit, but that was usually just enough to pay for more provisions when they got to the next town, maybe buy a new materia orb or two.

But no fame or praise. More like people out to kill them 'cause Shinra had put them on their most-wanted list. At least it was only soldiers looking for them, and normal townspeople didn't try to turn them in or anything. Anyway, Snow Village seemed a little far north for Shinra to have any influence, so maybe they wouldn't find any trouble there at all.

Hell, who was she kidding? They always found trouble everywhere. There would be something going on when they reached the town.

Which would still be a while, Yuffie recalled with a fresh wave of despair. Still about six hours away, she figured. Another six hours during which she would freeze to death, and they'd end up carrying her frozen corpse into Snow Village. Or maybe they'd just leave it wherever she died, because they had to be practical, and not burden themselves carrying around a dead girl.

Gawd, now she was getting morbid, too. And since when had she ever thought this much? This adventure business was definitely having a bad influence on her.

Six hours later, the village was finally in sight.

"Well, Yuffie, it looks like I didn't have to carry you after all," Cloud remarked. Was it her, or did he sound _smug_? Stupid blond.

"Yeah, whatever. They'd just better have a good inn and a warm bed with my name on it. Oh, and I call first bath while I'm at it."

"I call second," Tifa said, directing a playful grin at Cloud. She looked tired, though.

He sighed, not seeming very amused. He was a bit of a jerk when he was in leader-mode, Yuffie decided. "All right, fine," he said. "I'd rather get food first than shower anyway."

"No offense to any of you," Nanaki said, "but you all smell terrible. It will be wonderful to have you clean again, especially you, Cloud."

"Gee, thanks," the blond muttered.

Yuffie laughed. Nanaki wasn't funny very often, but she admitted that he did have his moments.

When they entered the town, she spotted the sign for the inn first and ran ahead, pulling open the door and basking in the warmth that washed over her from inside. Tifa gently pushed her farther into the lobby so the others could follow, and Cloud let the door fall shut behind them.

The ninja looked around. There were some tan people sitting at the one table in the lobby, tourists from Costa del Sol and clearly insane for wanting to come so far north. The people behind the counter were definitely natives, pale and dark-haired, snug in their heavy sweaters.

To her left, there was another room where a huge furnace was roaring, and Yuffie gravitated towards it, leaving the others to get them a room. A man near the fire glanced at her with some amusement, but she ignored him.

After a few minutes, Tifa called her over, and she followed the others up the stairs and into a room with three beds. Perfect, for once. They always seemed short one or two wherever they went, but this time she'd have her own. A quick inspection of the room soon revealed a bathroom, and she rushed in with a whoop of delight, slamming the door shut before anyone could protest. Of course, they had no grounds for protest anyway, since she'd already claimed first bath, but one could never be too careful.

She came out some time later feeling warm and clean for the first time in what must have been years. She smiled pleasantly at Tifa, who must have been waiting a while and was quick to head into the bathroom without returning the smile.

A trip down to the bar found her some food, if not hot chocolate. (They said they didn't have any, and when she asked for a mug of mulled beer instead, the barkeeper only gave her a look. She didn't look _that_ young, did she?) But that was all right now that her stomach was satisfied.

Yuffie stuck around the bar for a while, hanging around each table for five or ten minutes to see what everyone was talking about. She figured herself pretty skilled at eavesdropping. Some people were talking about some man in a black cloak who passed through just the day before with a half-naked girl in tow. They had some pretty weird speculations about the two, but Yuffie decided their opinions didn't matter much. A day behind wasn't too bad, right?

Two guys at another table were talking about some Ancient named Ifalna who got nabbed by the Shinra way back when. One was telling the story, while the other didn't seem to take him too seriously. Yuffie wondered if this Ifalna lady was related to Aeris at all. After all, Aeris was supposed to be the last Ancient.

When the people in the bar stopped being interesting, she headed back upstairs to their room, finding the others already sitting around and talking. Cloud's and Tifa's hair were still wet from their baths, and the pair sat across from each other on two of the beds. Nanaki lay on the floor between them with his head on his paws.

"You haven't heard anything about Sephiroth either?" Cloud was asking Tifa.

She shook her head. "Maybe we should ask around town. Someone's bound to know something."

Yuffie flopped down next to Tifa, sitting cross-legged. "Some people downstairs said they came through here yesterday morning," she said. "You guys didn't listen hard enough."

Cloud scowled at her, but Tifa spoke before he could open his mouth. "You're sure it was them? Did they say anything about Aeris?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Yuffie answered. "All they seemed to know about Aeris was that she was half-naked."

"Still?" she asked worriedly. "She'll freeze to death in this cold."

Nanaki spoke up. "She could have frozen to death on the snow fields. That she made it this far alive must mean that he does not want to kill her that way, if at all."

"I guess you're right," the brunette admitted, her face still creased with worry.

"Did they say where Sephiroth was headed?" Cloud asked.

"Down the mountain, I think," Yuffie replied. She grinned a little. "It's supposed to be a snowboarding slope. Think we can snowboard down it?"

The blond blinked. "If we can find some boards, I guess so. It's probably faster than walking down anyway."

"Cool," the ninja decided. "So how long do we get to stay here?"

"Until the others catch up and rest up, too."

"How far behind are they?"

"I dunno."

"Maybe you should call them, Cloud," Tifa suggested.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that in a minute."

"Well, whatever, I guess. I'm going to catch up on my sleep." Kicking off her sneakers, Yuffie moved to the empty bed and happily climbed under the covers. "Good night, all," she declared. With the warm blankets and soft pillow, it didn't take her long to fall asleep.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I love Yuffie. That's really all I have to say here.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Juggling the clothing and supplies in her arms, Tifa managed to open the door to their room and step inside. She dumped the items on the nearest bed, and Yuffie did the same soon after. A moment later, the ninja herself flopped down on the bed, legs hanging over the edge.

"Get this junk off my bed soon, okay?" she said, staring up at the ceiling. "I wanna go back to sleep."

Tifa sighed. "You could help, you know."

"Nuh-uh. You woke me up to go _shopping_"-she uttered the word with disgust-"and I had to carry most of the stuff. I didn't complain the whole way either, so I think I've done my part."

In reality, Tifa had had to carry most of the things they had bought, but she didn't care to dispute that particular point. "I told you, I didn't know your size or what you'd like. Would you rather I came back with something hideous?"

Yuffie turned her head to look at her and ask, "But you knew _Cloud_'s size and what _he_'d like?"

"That's different. I know him better."

"I'll bet you do."

She frowned at the girl's tone. "Of course, we grew up together, and he stayed at my place in Sector 7 a while. You, I only met weeks ago."

"Oooh, you _lived_ together?"

"Not just us," Tifa added defensively, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. "All of us in Avalanche lived there." She frowned, remembering the loss of three of her companions back in Sector 7, and refrained from naming them. "Anyway, Cloud's not very picky."

"Riiight."

"Leave her be, Yuffie," Nanaki said tiredly. He lay curled on the floor, eye closed, and Tifa had given up trying to figure out when he was awake and when he was sleeping. She had decided he slept like a cat-lightly and in short intervals.

Yuffie muttered something under her breath but otherwise fell silent, settling for glaring at the ceiling. Tifa silently thanked Nanaki and started sorting out the supplies, stuffing them into the group's packs. When she had finished, she gathered up her newly-bought clothes and headed into the bathroom to change.

She stepped out feeling much more comfortable and certainly warmer. The pants were definitely an improvement.

The door opened, and she looked up as Cloud entered.

"Did you find anything?" she asked him.

He held up a stack of snowboards. "I feel like I bought out the store," he said sheepishly.

Yuffie grinned. "Yes! Snowboarding!" She jumped to her feet. "Which one's mine?"

Cloud glanced at her with mild amusement and set the boards down on the bed. The ninja immediately began looking through them, intent on claiming one and quite possibly writing her name all over it to make sure no one got confused. Their leader scratched his head, shrugged, and looked to Tifa.

"You look nice," he said.

She hoped he didn't notice her blush. "Thanks. Your clothes are right there." She pointed to a neat pile that was about to be hidden by discarded snowboards. "I hope you like them all right."

Cloud retrieved the garments and brusquely looked them over. "Yeah, they're fine. Thanks."

Tifa stepped carefully over Nanaki and sat down on her bed, watching as Yuffie retrieved a permanent marker from her pack and carefully wrote her name on the chosen snowboard.

To her startlement, Cloud soon sat down beside her, setting down his new clothes. He kept his gaze absently on the young ninja.

He did not speak, and after a moment of discomfort she asked, "You think we'll make it in time?"

"I dunno."

She sighed. She hated it when he gave her such short answers, but then, she hadn't picked a very good topic to begin with. "Even if we don't stop him, Aeris did something to stop Meteor, didn't she? We just have to get her back from him, and things'll work out all right."

"Uh-huh."

Tifa tilted her head to get a better look at his face. "You all right?"

He looked back at her finally. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just keep wondering..." He hesitated. "I keep wondering why Aeris never told us about her White Materia. She even said once that it didn't do anything."

"Maybe she only just found out," Tifa suggested.

"I don't think so. She did say she knew how to use it... I don't know. Don't you think she could've said something when we found out Sephiroth wanted the Black Materia?"

"Aeris lies more than any of us," Nanaki stated. "Perhaps-"

"What are you saying?" Tifa demanded indignantly as they all turned to look at the feline.

He opened his eye and blinked slowly. "I did not mean that she lacks morals, simply that she needs to lie to protect herself."

Tifa eyed him skeptically, and the others looked doubtful.

He shook his head. "Think about it. Did she tell you why the Turks were looking for her, or did you find out from someone else?"

"...Elmyra told us," Cloud admitted reluctantly. "Aeris said she didn't know why they were after her."

"And how many times has she seemed troubled but assured us there was nothing wrong? How many times has she started to think aloud then stopped herself? How many times has she said 'never mind'? I am sure you all can think of some."

Tifa frowned thoughtfully. "I never even noticed," she said.

"Yeah, 'cause Aeris doesn't seem like the type to be a good liar," Yuffie put in.

"Okay," Cloud said. "I can understand why she might not want to tell other people that, but we're her friends. Why lie to us?"

"Would you have befriended her from the start had you known she was inhuman?" Nanaki asked quietly. "I know you would not have accepted me, but you needed my help."

"I probably wouldn't have believed her..."

"Well, then it was no use for her to tell you either way."

"That still doesn't explain why she didn't tell us about the White Materia," Tifa persisted.

Nanaki sighed. "She is very cautious when she needs to be. Perhaps she could sense something was amiss with Cloud. If Sephiroth had found out about the White Materia earlier, she may not have been able to complete her summon, or even start it."

"Why run off all by herself?"

"That you will have to ask Aeris about," the feline said with a shake of his head. "I cannot speculate on everything."

Cloud frowned. "What else has she kept from us?" he wondered aloud.

Nanaki only lowered his head to rest it on his paws once more. Yuffie looked serious for a moment, actually frowning, but she soon turned back to her bed and began shoving things off of it.

Tifa hesitantly put a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "She has her reasons, I'm sure. It isn't as though the rest of us don't keep secrets, right?"

"Right. I just always thought Aeris was being honest with us. That she thought she could trust us."

"Me, too. When we get her back, we'll talk to her and clear things up, all right? She's our friend, and a couple lies won't change that. Especially now that she can tell us the truth and not worry about who might hear, right?"

"I guess."

She offered him a smile. "Cheer up a bit. We'll find her soon."

He nodded. "...hey, Tifa?"

"Yes?"

Yuffie plopped down onto her bed and sprawled across it with a rather loud sigh of content, catching Cloud's attention. He shook his head. "Never mind."

Tifa's face fell in disappointment, but he didn't notice as he stood up.

"Let's get some more rest before the others get here."

"Yeah. Good idea." She watched him lay down on his bed before she stretched out on her own and tried to sleep.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard a key turn in the lock. She sat upright, scanning the room and finding everyone still inside it. No one had gone out. Cloud sat up warily also, but Yuffie lay fast asleep, and Nanaki appeared completely oblivious, though it was hard to tell with him.

In the moment it took for Tifa to realize Cid and the others might have arrived and the innkeeper must have given them the key, Cid had opened the door and stepped inside the room.

She rubbed at her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up, then got to her feet. "Hey, guys," she mumbled.

"Hey, Tifa," Cid answered as the others piled into the room. He didn't sound much more awake than she felt. He nodded to Cloud, who only slid to the edge of his bed. Yuffie was still asleep. Nanaki's ears twitched from the sounds, so Tifa decided he was awake, but otherwise he did not move.

Tifa frowned thoughtfully as she looked from their newly-arrived friends to the three beds. Barret looked like he was falling asleep on his feet. Cait was motionless. Vincent gave nothing away, as usual. "I know you're all tired..." she said hesitantly. "So how are we going to work this?"

"Nah, it's just me an' Barret who need someplace to crash," Cid answered. "The damn cat doesn't need anything, and Vince's a fuckin' weirdo."

Vincent frowned slightly, but said nothing.

"Let's see then..." the brunette went on, ignoring his language. She was used to it, having been a bartender in the slums. "I could share with Yuffie again, and one of you could take my bed, but..."

"I've got a better idea," the pilot interrupted when she began to trail off. "Why don't you an' Cloud share, me an' Barret take the other two beds, and we move the brat to the floor. She's used to it back home anyhow."

Tifa flushed at the suggestion, and a glance at Cloud showed him bearing a similar expression. She opened her mouth to speak, but Nanaki spoke first.

"That makes more sense to me also, as long as you give Yuffie a pillow and blanket."

"Wait just a second-" the brunette began indignantly.

"All right then, it's settled!" Cid proclaimed, promptly tossing a pillow and blanket onto the floor and placing Yuffie atop them with surprising speed considering his fatigue. The girl mumbled a bit, but did not wake. Grinning in triumph, the pilot then claimed her bed, seeming to fall asleep as soon as his head reached the pillow.

Barret moved for the bed Tifa had been using, and she started. She bit her lip; she couldn't bring herself to argue with a sleep-deprived Barret. She looked around for help, catching Vincent's gaze and pleading silently for him to do something.

The ex-Turk only shrugged and sat down cross-legged near the door. Cait Sith had not moved since entering.

She sighed and looked back at Cloud. A moment of silence passed.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he said, starting to get to his feet.

"Ah! No, you don't have to do that," Tifa said hurriedly.

He hesitated, looking at her in confusion.

She blushed again. "I mean... You haven't been sleeping well lately. I'll take the floor."

"No, it's all right, Tifa," he insisted quietly. "I won't sleep any better on a good mattress than on the floor."

She frowned worriedly. "Cloud..." She walked over to him and gently pushed at his chest. "Come on, lay down. At least here you have a better chance of sleeping well, right?"

"But I-" he protested.

Not listening, she shoved him back. "_I_'ll be able to sleep just fine on the floor."

Sighing, he pulled his legs up onto the bed also. He frowned at the ceiling, but his expression soon gave way to uncertainty. He glanced sideways at her. "Do you mind sharing, really? If you insist on me sleeping here, then, uh... I mean... Never mind."

Tifa watched him, mouth half-open, as he rolled onto his side so his back was to her. "I thought... With Ae-" She stopped herself, swallowed. "No, I don't mind, really."

Cloud glanced at her over his shoulder. "Really?"

She made her way around the other side of the bed and sat down. "We all slept pretty close in my basement, didn't we? This shouldn't be a big deal."

"...I guess not."

Tifa nodded to herself. "Right, not a big deal." With a quick glance at Cloud, she crawled under the covers, claiming the other side of the bed. They lay in silence, their backs to each other, for some time, and she wondered how quickly he managed to get to sleep.

* * *

Sephiroth sat cross-legged near the door, listening to the wind howl outside and watching the enigmatic Cetra. Sometimes he felt as though he knew everything about her, other times he felt as though he did not understand her any more than she understood him.

At the moment she was sitting on the couch with Holzoff nearby, and the two of them were talking. He was telling her of how he had lost his friend on the cliffs some twenty years earlier. Sephiroth thought that a poor excuse to abandon one's family and turn to solitude, but Aeris had a great deal of sympathy for Holzoff's situation.

Finally deciding he could take no more of her damned kindness, Sephiroth got to his feet. "Aeris."

She started, stopped mid-sentence, and looked at him. "Yes?"

"We are leaving."

She blinked several times as though she had not understood him. Then she leapt to her feet and hurried to the back room to grab the old coat she had left there.

Sephiroth turned to Holzoff, who stood staring after Aeris, looking a little dazed. "Holzoff..."

"Okay, I'm ready," Aeris said as she returned, pulling on the coat.

The Masamune sang, their host collapsed onto the floor in a bloody mess, and the Cetra gasped in horror.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Sephiroth murmured. He glanced at Aeris, noting her bare feet. "You can take his boots if you like."

She stared at him incredulously. "His boots...?"

"Your feet will suffer from heavy frostbite without them."

"But... He..."

"He certainly won't be needing them anymore."

Her eyes were glossy, but finally Aeris nodded and crouched down beside the corpse, gingerly pulling off the dead man's boots. She did not check for a pulse as another might have, hopeful that he still lived; as a Cetra, she had probably felt his soul returning to the Lifestream.

Once she had removed his shoes and socks, her movements quickened. Apparently she was used to wearing boots many sizes too large for her, and she deftly tied the laces so that this pair would not fall off so easily.

She hesitated again when she had finished, her gaze lingering on Holzoff's corpse, fingers hovering just above his leg as though she wanted to leave him with some parting communication, a touch or a word.

Sephiroth turned towards the door, tired of waiting for her. "Come, Aeris."

"Right."

He glanced at her over his shoulder as he opened the door. She stood promptly and strode to join him. And somehow, despite her capacity for deep empathy and emotion, she had cleared all expression from her face and met his glance levelly.

He walked out into the swirling snow, annoyed that she should do something meriting his approval. Annoyed also that he had reason to be grateful to her for braiding his hair. The strong wind would otherwise have made it impossible to manage.

Aeris followed close behind even as he quickened his pace. She struggled with it, but did not complain.

Still, she had to break the silence with a foolish question. "Why?"

"Why what?" he queried absently, raising his voice enough that she could hear it over the wind.

"Why did you kill him?"

He did not reply. She had expected him to kill others whom they had passed in Snow Village; why should this Holzoff have been any different from any of them? Did it bother her especially because the man had tried to be kind to the both of them?

"He didn't do anything to provoke you," she went on after she realized he would not answer. "He didn't know anything about you. Is it just because he was human?"

"No, not really. He would have died soon anyway, becoming part of me, so what difference does a week or two make?"

Aeris frowned. "I guess you never grasped the concept of life as a precious thing."

"Not human life, no."

"I see."

She asked no further questions, and he wondered exactly what it was that she saw. Could one who seemed to value life so greatly really comprehend how he could hold it in such poor regards?

He certainly had difficulty understanding her perspective. All other living things had found their places, but humans were more harmful to that balance than useful. They harmed the Planet-shouldn't that have been her main concern? Why would she want to save such a parasitic race?

_With that reasoning, she should have been glad to see one more human dead._

_Indeed, the girl seems to have her priorities confused_, Sephiroth agreed. _I suppose, of course, she thinks that they should be judged individually instead of as a whole-in which case Holzoff did nothing wrong._

_It does not matter what she thinks. Meteor will wipe them all out regardless of what they deserve, and the Planet will be a different creature once you join with it. Neither side of that argument will be relevant in time._

He nodded slightly. _My apologies for thinking about something so trivial, Mother. You know I have an insatiable curiosity._

_It is surprising that your curiosity has not gotten you into trouble yet_, Jenova told him flatly. _Especially considering the mistakes you have made because of it._

Sephiroth glanced back at Aeris, who was beginning to fall behind. _It was not a mistake to let her live._

His mother seemed decidedly annoyed. _You sound quite sure of that._

_I am._

_Did you not say you found her more trouble than she was worth?_

_I changed my mind._

_Don't tell me you've also changed your mind about leaving her behind._

_No; if I took her with me much farther, she would surely die._

Jenova's tone grew even more aggravated. _You say that as though you actually care._

_Mother, I have told you before: I want her broken, not dead._

_It does not look that way to me._

He sighed. _You'll soon change your mind._

_I hope so._

Upon reaching the base of Gaea's Cliffs not fifteen minutes after leaving Holzoff's house, Sephiroth stopped to wait for Aeris. She quickened her pace to catch up to him and stopped beside him, panting. It was unfortunate for her that she was so short.

"I will need both hands for this," he told her brusquely. "You will have to hold on."

She straightened, and glanced up at the cliff face, wrapping her arms about herself and sheltering her bare fingers from the cold. "I can climb," she said, but he doubted it.

"I will carry you," he stated.

Aeris frowned for a moment, but nodded. "Fine."

"I fail to see why you should be angry."

"Why shouldn't I be?" she retorted. "He died because _you_ thought his life was worthless. Who are you to pass judgment?"

"What was he doing with his life, Aeris? He abandoned his home to live in solitude; what do you honestly think he had to live for?"

"Any life is better than none," she insisted.

"You are naive to think that."

"You believe it, too," she went on, "or else you would have killed yourself by now."

"I have already died once before. Obviously it lacked permanence, so suicide is not an option."

Aeris stared at him. "You... You died?"

He chuckled. "A bit of a problem for you, isn't it? If I cannot die, how will you kill me?"

Her gaze dropped, as did her voice. "We'll figure something out."

"Indeed. Now, we have lingered here long enough."

"Right..." Her reluctance was so heavy he could practically smell it. She stepped closer to him, still avoiding his eyes. He promptly lifted her, and she put her arms about his neck and her legs about his waist. Now that she did not desperately need his body heat, she no longer wanted his touch. Perhaps she did not harbor an absurd liking for him after all.

Or perhaps she was just angry.

Suddenly realizing that he had been wasting time, Sephiroth scowled and crossed the last few paces to the cliff face. He started up the cliff, trying to ignore the girl who clung to him and reminding himself that this nonsense would be over soon.

* * *

This time it was Cloud who woke them, and told them to split into two groups to explore the rest of the village. Nanaki's group discovered a young woman who had fed a sparsely-clothed girl the day before, by which she could only mean that Aeris had been there. She had also left a message, apparently, telling them that she was all right, which was only mildly encouraging. Nanaki knew Aeris would lie without hesitation in order to ease their worries. Yuffie, at least, seemed somewhat comforted.

Sephiroth, however, had not come into the house, though a man in the yard informed them that he had indeed seen a man in black arrive with Aeris and wait for her nearby. They did not thank the house's inhabitants (though Nanaki thought they should have), but obtained a map of Great Glacier and went on their way.

They checked several other houses, hearing only the same vague descriptions of a black-caped man and a young woman in need of clothes. By the time they met up with Cloud's group by the inn, a pair of Shinra soldiers had appeared near the village entrance. Apparently Cloud and the others had run into Elena of the Turks and been falsely accused of Tseng's murder.

When Nanaki asked how the confrontation had ended, Cloud only shrugged and grinned in a manner that suggested Elena had done something rather typical (and embarrassing).

So they packed their things and headed for the slope.

A man in the thicket on the crest of the mountain warned them about the freezing temperatures farther north, also mentioning a black-caped man and scantily-clad lady who had come by before. Tifa thanked him for the warning and the information, though by now they were all tired of hearing the same thing. Nanaki was sure he was not the only one who worried about Aeris freezing to death, whatever Sephiroth's intentions.

They cleared the thicket, and Nanaki eyed the slope dubiously. He had no idea how he was supposed to use a snowboard, lacking the stance and center of balance that humans had.

"...some of us are probably going to be better at this than others," Tifa said, looking a little anxious.

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "I think there are forks in this... So, in case we get split up, everyone keep right each time, all right?"

"I guess that works."

"So let's get going!" Yuffie exclaimed. She was the only one who expressed any excitement about going down the slope.

"Right..." Cloud said. He set down the board he had been carrying for Nanaki. "Here. Hope you can figure it out."

He grunted in response and cautiously stepped onto the board, digging in his claws for grip. The others could strap their feet down if they wished. Even Cait Sith, who looked utterly ridiculous with his moogle strapped to the board. Nanaki was not sure how _he_ was supposed to make it down the slope, but the snowboard was a better bet than on foot.

Yuffie pushed off first, impatient with the others. Cloud followed, and soon so did the rest of the party. Nanaki went last, not at all liking the idea of using some other means of transportation besides his own four feet. Humans seemed to have no problem with that. In fact, they seemed to prefer alternate methods of travel.

Nanaki would have preferred to run, though he had to admit that this steep, snow-covered slope did not look like one he wanted to trudge down.

Most of the others managed to get a decent grasp of the sport within the first couple minutes; Yuffie seemed to have no problem with it at all and sped off down the slope with a whoop of delight. Cait Sith had the most difficulty, which was no surprise, and Barret, despite being human, did little better. Nanaki could at least manage better than those two, and after a while he could no longer hear them behind him.

Just when he thought he was starting to get the hang of it, Nanaki saw the end of the slope ahead-a sudden drop-off. Alarmed, he attempted to slow down, but he had noticed the cliff too late and flew off the edge.

He managed to extricate all his claws from the snowboard as he fell and felt grateful for the first time since he had woke that morning that he was a feline; he had a better chance of surviving such a fall than some two-legger.

Of course, that thought made him worry about his friends.

Nanaki landed paws-first in a deep snowdrift. What luck! With a bit of a struggle, he managed to pull himself out of the pile of snow. He tossed his head in an attempt to get some of the snow out of his fur and mane.

"You okay?" he heard Yuffie ask.

"Got snow in my ear," he muttered, shaking his head more vigorously.

"Not too bad then," she concluded.

He turned to face her and sat back on his haunches. "You seem all right. How have the others fared?"

Her expression grew rueful. "Cid jumped a little too far and missed the snowdrift. Broke his leg pretty bad. You've got a Restore materia on you, right?"

Nanaki nodded curtly. "Where is he...?"

Yuffie pointed. "We found a shallow cave a little ways over there. I'm just here waiting for Cait an' Barret now." She lowered her voice to mutter, "They'd better get here soon. I'm freezing my ass off just standing still..."

He nodded again and hurried off in the direction she had indicated. Sure enough, he soon heard Cid's cursing.

Sometimes he wished he had lost some of his hearing rather than an eye.

He found the little cave and cleared his throat loudly. The others jumped, and Cloud even started reaching for his sword. Nanaki grimaced; he had been picking up far too many human habits, some of which did not suit him at all.

"Yuffie said you needed my assistance."

"It's about fucking time," Cid ground out through his teeth, though he sounded relieved.

Nanaki trotted the last few paces to sit near the pilot. A few spells later, Cid was back on his feet. Without a word of thanks.

Some people simply had no manners.

Nanaki tossed his head, still trying to shake some lingering snow from one ear.

"Well, we got pretty lucky, I guess," Tifa said after a moment. "Landing in that snowdrift. A few meters off and we could've landed on these rocks..."

"Hopefully Barret will make it all right as well," Nanaki remarked anxiously.

The others frowned.

Nearly ten minutes later, Yuffie joined them with Barret and Cait Sith in tow, both looking disgruntled. They most definitely had not had a pleasant ride, but at least they had reached the valley in tact.

"Well, that's everyone," Cloud stated, moving toward the cave's entrance. "Let's get going."

"Where _are_ we headed from here?" Yuffie queried.

"Nanaki, you said there was a house at the base of the cliffs?" the blond asked.

The feline nodded. "Yes. But it might help if we knew where we were; otherwise we will not know what direction to take to get there."

Cloud scratched his head sheepishly. "Right..." He pulled out the map of Great Glacier, and they all crowded around to look it over.

Vincent pointed out a rocky spot marked on the map. "I believe we are here."

"You sure?" Barret asked, looking around doubtfully. "This don't stand out much."

The ex-Turk's tone left no room for doubt. "I am sure."

"Well, there's sort of a trail off that way," Yuffie said, pointing, though she did not seem any less dubious of Vincent's words.

"I guess we could follow it until we come to a better landmark and check the map again," Tifa suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Cloud decided. "Let's get going before we freeze." He folded up the map again and set off in the direction of the path.

The vaguely-defined route led them to a half-frozen lake in a little over half an hour or so. A wind picked up just before they reached it, pelting them with snow and fragments of ice and leaving them squinting across the lake.

"There appears to be an igloo on an island some ways out," Nanaki said after a moment; even his sight was greatly impaired by this snow.

"I can't see shit," Cid stated, "but I'll take yer word for it."

Cloud and Tifa were bent over the map again. "Looks like Vincent was right, then," Cloud said. "So now we either go around the lake this way"-he gestured to the right-"or that way." He motioned to the left.

"I think it looks quicker this way," Tifa said, pointing something out on the map.

He nodded. "Some, yeah." Again the map disappeared into his pocket, and he turned to the right fork. "This way it is."

By the time they circled the lake, Tifa and Yuffie were beginning to look blue from the cold. Being the two with the slightest frames, they had to rely most on their winter clothes to warm them, and those weren't enough here. Yuffie, normally full of energy, was even beginning to lag behind.

Nanaki dropped back to her side and bumped his head against her leg to catch her attention.

She looked down at him with a detached startlement. "Oh... Hey, Red. B-bet you're w-warm, huh?"

"More so than you at least," he said, letting his concern slip into his voice so she would know he was not rubbing it in her face.

Then again, she did not seem in the mood to play around. "I w-wish I had fur," she murmured wistfully.

"And I wish I had opposable thumbs," Nanaki replied.

That seemed to amuse her some. "Y-yeah, I guess you would."

He tossed his head. "Do you think you can manage until we reach the house? We still have several hours ahead of us."

"How long've we been wa-walking?" Yuffie asked.

"Three hours."

"Th-three hours...?" she echoed. "I guess... I'll have to m-make it the rest of th' w-way."

"You could seek warmth from your companions," he suggested. "Body heat can only help."

Yuffie blinked at him in puzzlement. "Huh?"

"I know humans are uncomfortable with being close to one another, but-"

"Oh," she interrupted. "Yeah, n-no way."

Nanaki paused. "Surely it is preferable to freezing to death."

"I s-said 'no way'!" she repeated more forcibly.

He fell silent, but continued to walk at her side. They were some distance behind the rest of the party, but Yuffie managed to steady her pace again.

After perhaps half an hour, she blurted, "D'you think V-vincent's w-warm at all? I d-don't think he'd g-give a damn."

"He gives off as much body heat as a human, if that is what you mean," he replied, glad that she seemed to be taking his advice.

"Okay. I'll ask him." Without any further hesitation, she quickened her pace to catch up with Vincent, actually the closest one in front of them. He often kept to the back of the group, as though guarding the rear or perhaps staying out of everyone else's way.

Vincent seemed surprised by Yuffie's request, but after a moment he put his flesh arm about her shoulders, drawing his cape around her as he did so. Nanaki, his first mission accomplished, now looked to Tifa. To his surprise, she had taken to walking pressed close beside Cloud. Those two were usually embarrassed if they so much as met each other's gaze. Humans were so strange.

Another hour and a half later, they finally came upon the house, and Nanaki felt his hackles rise. Something was amiss here.

The door was broken and swung wide with each strong gust of wind, slamming back into the wall of the house. The party exchanged looks, and Cloud moved forward, a hand on the hilt of his sword. He froze for a moment in the doorway, then continued inside, more relaxed but still wary.

Tifa followed him first, a soft gasp escaping her, and the rest filed inside quietly with only a muttered curse from Cid and a whisper of astonishment from Yuffie. Nanaki entered last, and he caught the scent of blood as soon as he was out of the wind. Most of the group was gathered around a body in the middle of the floor, splattered with blood and oddly barefoot.

"Well, Sephiroth was here all right," Cloud said finally, sighing.

"About five or six hours ago, judging by the smell," Nanaki added with a grimace.

"We're catching up then," the blond noted.

Vincent shook his head. "I think he meant for us to catch up."

There was a pause. No one liked being reminded that Sephiroth would ultimately choose where and when they would confront him.

"What do you think happened to the guy's socks?" Yuffie asked into the silence.

"Huh?" Barret queried.

"His socks," she repeated, gesturing. "You don't think he walked around barefoot here, do you?"

Cloud sighed. "Does it really matter, Yuffie?"

She opened her mouth to reply, then shut it again. Nanaki frowned; he would have liked an answer himself.

"Well, if we can get the door shut and the fire going, we have a place to rest for a while," their leader said.

"What about the dead guy?" Cid asked.

"Anyone willing to carry him outside and try to bury him?"

There was another pause before Vincent raised his claw. "I'll do it."

Cloud nodded and turned to explore the room beyond. Tifa followed, and Cid stood in the doorway looking after them. Nanaki remained in the main room with the others, looking around. There were a lot of hunting weapons about, rifles leaning against the wall and a row of knives arranged neatly on a table, a gap in the set where one appeared to be missing.

Nanaki shook his head. Missing socks and missing knives. Certainly Sephiroth had no use for either, so had it been Aeris who'd taken them? For what purpose?

He watched Vincent carry the body outside, then padded over to help Cait Sith get the fire started. Perhaps things would start making sense once they got Aeris back. On the other hand, perhaps they would only get more confusing. Two-legged things were indeed very strange.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Farewell, Holzoff. Probably I should feel bad for killing you off, but you were such a minor character. Also, what kind of name is Holzoff anyhow?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

At last they reached the top of the cliffs, where the incline softened into a slope leading up to a narrow ridge some distance ahead. She could feel something cancerous beyond it, yet for all the Planet's keening, she couldn't identify it. There was hardly any snow here, as though precipitation, too, forsook this place, a fact which failed to please her as Sephiroth dropped her unceremoniously upon the rocky and frozen earth.

Aeris winced but began to climb to her feet, stopping when she saw her companion sit down on a nearby rock. She settled herself back down on a smoother patch of ground and asked, "Tired?"

He only glanced at her.

"I guess you must be," she went on. "That was a much harder climb than Corral Valley."

No response to that at all. His silence left her listening to the Planet's anguish, and she had to take a moment to swallow it down before she attempted another question.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

"The crater is just beyond here," Sephiroth answered with a nod towards the far side of the ridge. "There is still a ways to travel, but I can be where I need to be by nightfall."

"_You_'ll be there?"

"You will not accompany me much farther."

"Then we'll be seeing Cloud and the others today?" Aeris concluded hopefully.

His expression changed only slightly, adding a hint of malice to his words. "Perhaps you will see them tomorrow, if you're lucky."

She frowned. Clearly he meant to abandon her soon, but beyond that she couldn't discern his intentions. Just that wouldn't harm her greatly at this point, and she was still far from broken.

Aeris got to her feet and walked across the ridge to have a look at the crater below. She could feel Sephiroth's eyes on her as she moved. She stopped when the Planet's wound came into sight, her eyes widening in horror. Before her stretched a huge gash in the Planet's skin, a festering wound that had not even scabbed over yet. At its center, the Planet's lifeblood worked in vain to mend the gash. The Lifestream whirled and twisted, clearly visible for miles, all the while failing to heal anything.

"Holy..." she breathed. So _this_ was what it screamed about.

_Too many leeches_, the Planet whispered apologetically in undercurrent to its pain. _I lack the strength._

Jenova and the Shinra... Aeris thought back to it. _Once they're gone, will you be able to mend this?_

Don't know.

"Meteor will be worse than this," Sephiroth said from beside her, making her jump. "This is merely a scratch."

"A scratch?" the Cetra asked indignantly, turning to face him. "You call this a _scratch_? Do you have any idea how much pain this causes the Planet?"

He shrugged, meeting her gaze coolly. "Why should I care? The Planet has done nothing for me."

"Not nothing," she told him. "It gave you a soul."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Did it really?"

"Of course; it gives one to everyone and everything that lives on it."

He scoffed. "Well, it must have skipped me."

_I did not skip him_, the Planet remarked, sounding offended. _Rather liked him at the time._

Aeris actually smiled at that. "There," she said. "The Planet says it gave you one."

"Planets really shouldn't lie."

She frowned. "It _can't_ lie."

"Anyone can lie," Sephiroth answered lightly, as though the whole conversation were a joke to him. "It isn't very hard. You do it all the time, and yet your friends thought you couldn't."

"But the Planet isn't like people," she argued. "The way it communicates, even... There's no room for lies in that."

"I am sure there is."

"You don't understand."

"Perhaps I don't," he admitted, "but neither do I care."

"You don't even know what you're trying to kill!" Aeris exclaimed.

He shook his head. "Wrong. What I am _going_ to kill. I think you will agree that this planet could not survive Meteor."

"No, it couldn't, but Meteor won't come. You can't call it here."

Sephiroth's gaze turned cold and almost derisive. "You still think Holy will come to save it? You still think you've done your duty and summoned a protector for your precious planet?"

She managed to meet that gaze, and she used her anger to make her words sound firm. "I _have_ done my duty in that respect, but there's still more I can do. I can still stop you."

His mouth settled into a frown, and plain harshness replaced the derision in his eyes. "Your materia. Give it to me."

"What?" she asked, her false confidence quickly fading.

"The White Materia in your hair. You have had it long enough."

Aeris began to back away from him as a sudden anxiety gripped her. "But... You don't need it for anything."

"What, you think I plan on using it?" he asked contemptuously.

She shook her head.

"Well? Give it to me."

"I won't let you have it." When he held out a hand, she turned and bolted. She knew she would not get far. She knew he would catch her. She knew he would take it from her. But she could not let it happen so easily, without her defiance.

Sephiroth caught her by her arm, but she whirled, slashing at him with the knife she had taken from Holzoff's house. She felt the sickly sweet satisfaction of cutting through flesh, and he released his grip on her arm only to snatch the knife from her grasp. She had already turned to run again.

This time he grabbed the tail end of her braid, yanking her backwards. She heard the whisper of the blade, and suddenly he let her go. She stumbled, regained her balance, and whirled to face him, feeling strangely light, as though she were missing something.

She blinked.

The braided length of her hair lay on the ground, severed where the ribbon had tied it. Sephiroth held the ribbon, as well as the White Materia she had fastened to it. After he removed the materia, he let the ribbon flutter from his grasp.

Aeris lifted a hand to her hair, finding the locks uneven, many not even past her ears. Her bangs reached farther than the rest of her hair. "You..."

"Yes, I cut your hair," he interrupted in a clipped and disinterested tone. "I thought you valued the White Materia more...?"

"I do," she said defensively, and nearly went on to demand it back. She stopped herself, and shook her head, no longer feeling the familiar weight of her braid swinging back and forth with the motion. She took a deep breath. _Focus on trivial things; don't let him see how much it hurts you; don't let him know you can't stand the thought of him having it._ "Well, what now? Are we moving on?"

Sephiroth nodded, and she thought he should have been satisfied, but his face lacked expression. He led her silently down the slope, her materia still clasped in one hand, the knife in the other. After only a few steps, however, he flung the knife aside.

Aeris hurried to pick it up and tuck it back into her coat.

* * *

Cloud helped Vincent to shut the door when he returned, and the two of them joined the others who had gathered in the back room to assess the situation.

"Nanaki, you said they were here six hours ago?" he asked first off.

The feline nodded. "Approximately."

"So if we hurried, we might be able to catch up to them..."

"And then we'd keel over from exhaustion when we did," Tifa reminded him.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I know. Actually, I was thinking we should rest up a while here, since there might not be many chances to later on."

"We could sure as hell use a decent night's sleep," Cid commented meaningfully.

"Especially with the cliffs up ahead," Nanaki added.

"Yo, did you say more cliffs?" Barret asked.

The feline glanced at him. "Yes. The base of Gaea's Cliffs is not far from here. I believe they are much more difficult to scale than those at Corral Valley."

"Damn, man..." the big man muttered. "Why there gotta be more cliffs..."

"Does this mean we're gonna split up again?" Yuffie asked.

"If we want to catch up with Sephiroth, it's probably the best way to go," Cait Sith put in.

Cloud nodded his agreement. "If it's all right with everyone, that's what we'll do."

"Don't got no problems with splittin' up, just with them cliffs," Barret grumbled.

"Save yer goddamn complainin' for tomorrow," Cid told him. "You ain't climbin' nothing now, unless you planned on sleepin' up top." He jerked a thumb towards the ladder where Yuffie sat, leading up to the loft.

"Uh-uh, I'm sleeping up here," the ninja protested. "I claimed it already."

Cloud sighed and got to his feet. "I'm going to sleep in the other room. You guys figure out what you're doing quick, 'cause we're not going to stay here that long."

"I thought you said we'd get to rest up!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Six hours is 'decent,' isn't it?" he said over his shoulder. A few curses followed him as he passed through the doorway.

Tifa joined him as he was unfolding his sleeping bag on the floor. "Nobody seems to remember there's a couch in here," she said.

"I think they just don't want to be in the same room where the body was."

"That, too. Especially for Nanaki." She sat down on the couch. "It's comfy though. You don't mind if I take it?"

He shook his head. "Go ahead."

"Thanks."

He sat down on his sleeping bag and began tugging off his boots. Tifa sat still and silent, and it seemed like she was watching him. He tried not to look at her.

"Are we going to split up the same way as last time?" she asked after several moments.

"Probably," he answered, setting his boots against the wall near the fireplace. That was another reason to choose this room. The fact that he knew Tifa wasn't too squeamish to sleep here was the third. "Cid seems like a good enough leader," he added.

"If you don't mind the cursing," she offered jokingly. After a pause, she reached down to unlace her own boots, which she must have bought back in Snow Village. She had always worn those red sneakers before. Red was a good color for her, he thought, but she never seemed to wear it much.

Tifa lay back on the couch. "I hope we find her tomorrow. I hope she's still okay."

"Me, too."

There was silence between them, and silence in the other room now, from what he could tell. Vincent had since moved from the door frame where he'd been standing earlier. Cloud lay down and stared upwards. After a moment, he glanced towards the couch. "Tifa?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think... When we find Sephiroth, will I... will I even be able to fight him?"

She didn't answer right away, and from this angle, it was hard for him to make out her expression. "I don't know, Cloud. But I'll be with you, so you just... Don't worry about it."

He nodded a bit. "Right. Thanks, Teef. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Mm." He couldn't be sure, but she sounded like she was smiling. "Goodnight, Cloud."

"Goodnight, Tifa."

* * *

They had come down the steepest part of the crater, and now she could see the whirling tendrils of the Lifestream more clearly. This close, they seemed to form a great wall of green, circling the center of the Planet's wound. The wall stretched far upwards into the sky, so that she had to crane her neck to see where it finally thinned to wisps and ended.

A mist from the Lifestream stretched faintly across the ground ahead, and she stopped. Sephiroth strode on, paying her no heed, his feet leaving eddies in the mist. After a moment, though, he paused and glanced back at her, arching an eyebrow in question.

"I want to wait for my friends here," Aeris told him.

"And you expect me to agree to that and go on?" he queried.

"Why not?"

"You know the reason."

She shook her head, a part of her still surprised at the lightness of her hair. "Someone like you has to be broken to break people, Sephiroth."

His gaze darkened. "What do you mean by that?"

"All you're capable of is inflicting the same wounds on others as were given to you. Some people aren't strong enough; your wounds would break them. But others... others are just as strong, some are stronger, and-"

"Enough."

"-you can't break them. You can't break me."

His eyes narrowed. "Oh, you think you are stronger than me?"

Aeris met his gaze steadily. "Yes."

"I will prove you wrong."

"Then do it. Hurt me, break me, shatter me. Grind the pieces of my soul into a fine powder and try, if you wish, to use it as a salve to heal your own. It won't work."

Sephiroth scoffed again. "You seem to suffer under a delusion that I am nearly broken myself."

"You are," she insisted, "but I think you can still heal. You just have to let yourself want it."

He turned towards her fully and took several steps back from the mist, leaving only a pace between them. "You are a foolish girl indeed. It is too late to alter my course. Meteor will do what I wish. The very planet which denied me a soul to begin with will suffer for it, and I will have all the Spirit Energy I need."

"...and what will become of the rest of us?"

"Either you will die and become a part of me, or you will lie broken at my feet. I do not care so long as there is no one left to stand in my way."

"What will you do then, once you're a god?"

"What does it matter, Cetra? You will be dead or broken by then, past caring in either case."

"When so much is at stake, it's worth trying to understand you, if only so I know how to stop you. I want to know why you're doing this, so I can persuade you not to. I know you think it's ridiculous, especially now that I've told you, but..." She trailed off, but when she spoke again, she held the same conviction in her voice. "You don't really _want_ to be doing this, do you? Have you ever really known what you wanted?"

"For you to quit asking such stupid questions," he answered flatly.

"No. Answer me seriously. What do you want?"

Sephiroth was playing with something in the palm of his hand, and he took a moment to answer. "This world is full of lies and corruption, Aeris. I should know. Humans are worthless, and you might as well be one of them. All your ideals and hopes-what difference do they make?"

"So you want to destroy it all?"

"Of course."

"And that's all?"

"Yes."

Slowly, Aeris shook her head. "I don't believe it. You were as human as anyone else once, and I don't think you've changed so much."

"I have. That 'human' part of me is gone, and all that remains is contempt."

"You're only saying that. You'd like to believe it, but it isn't true."

"You are ever hopeful that I will change for you, aren't you?"

"I am," she answered, almost surprised that it was true.

He looked back down at his hand, spreading his fingers so that she could see he held the White Materia. Then his mouth twisted into a frown, and he threw the orb into a rocky outcropping, sending after it a spell of a sort that she could neither see nor comprehend. She cried out, stretching out one hand towards it, as if she could stop the motion.

The White Materia shattered between the rock and the spell, and the pieces fell to the ground.

Aeris gaped, her mind reeling. "How... how could you?"

"_That_," Sephiroth growled, "is what I think of you and your idiotic hope-easily crushed and utterly worthless."

"But... you can't..."

"Can't what? Crush hope? If you still do not believe me, I can easily show you."

Before she could even attempt to flee, he had her pressed against the rock. He left her hands free, but she knew they were useless. Her eyes were wide in disbelief, but deep down, part of her had expected this of him. Perhaps that was why she had tried to convince herself otherwise for so long.

Sephiroth pulled the knife from her coat, somehow knowing exactly where she kept it, and simply cut her clothes off of her, the blade always a hair's breadth from piercing her skin.

Aeris stared at him, and he did not even bother to meet her gaze.

She lay naked where he had left her, bruised and bleeding from his violence. She had tried to remain limp, tried not to respond, tried not to give him the satisfaction of screaming, but she had failed. She had wavered between a futile, tiring struggle and actually succumbing to the desires he awoke in her body. She had, during the course of her violation, screamed out his name in both terror and pleasure. She had begged him to stop, and begged him not to stop.

He had known she would respond this way. He had known. She'd let him manipulate her, leading herself to the point where she had opened herself to receive what scant kindness he had offered. She had stripped away her own walls, to try to reach him.

He had known she would do that, hadn't he? And now he had taken advantage of all her attempts at compassion. He had let her kind words fall into a void and callously ripped the heart that birthed them to shreds.

She could see Sephiroth out of the corner of her eye, fully clothed and on his feet. She knew he did not spare her even a glance; she couldn't feel his gaze.

"Do what you like," he told her, his voice completely devoid of emotion, as if nothing at all had passed between them. "I will complete my mission."

"You're leaving me?" Aeris managed.

"Yes."

"But... I'm not broken yet. You're not finished with me."

"I will finish you later."

She heard nothing more. She had never been able to hear his footfalls. She could not move, could not lift her head to see if he had gone, if she was really and truly alone. She certainly could not try to follow him if he was leaving. The cold crept across her skin and through it, driving away the heat of passion and cruelty, compassion and pain, that had coursed through her veins.

At length, she did manage to sit up, wincing.

She had been so wrong about him. Nothing she had ever said had made him falter in the slightest. Every kindness he had ever shown her had been a pretense. It had all been calculated-the way he had held her, the moments when he had seemed almost to believe her, the way he had sometimes smirked, not in malice but in genuine amusement.

Had anything he had ever said or done really been true?

Aeris shook her head, wrapping her arms about herself. No, this was not the time to think about that. Right now all she could focus on was survival. Cloud and the others were less than a day behind, if Sephiroth's remarks were to be trusted, so she would have to hold on until they reached her.

The clothes she had borrowed from Holzoff were thoroughly shredded, but she drew the pieces about herself, hugging them close. It wouldn't be enough, like this. The air still found her skin through the maze of tears. If only she had some way of lighting herself a fire. Materia would be a godsend.

Her attention drifted then, and she crawled slowly to where the fragments of the White Materia lay, picking them up one by one and laying them in her palm.

"Oh, Holy... Planet... I'm sorry..."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This was kind of a hard chapter to write.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

They had been climbing for what felt like days, or at least long enough for Yuffie to have completely lost track of time; she _knew_ she should've bought a watch back in Snow Village. Farther down, a few winding caverns had given her arms some rest, but the infestation of bats, dragons, and vengeful icicles hadn't done anything for her overall exhaustion.

Normally Yuffie enjoyed climbing. Normally. But these were not what she called normal conditions. A steady, bone-chilling wind blew sideways across the cliff face, making her sure her numb fingers would lose their grip in a matter of seconds and she'd be sent blowing off into a white expanse of nowhere. Moreover, the rock presented a steady vertical climb, sometimes even overhanging or iced over.

It was no surprise she could scarcely feel for good handholds anymore. Her limbs, or what she could feel of them, felt like noodles. If she stopped moving them, they'd just flop down uselessly and refuse to support her any longer. She really, really hoped they reached the top soon. With all the snow and her poor perspective, looking up didn't do anything except blind her.

She wasn't even sure how her companions were doing. She assumed they were somewhere below her-that's where they'd been when they'd left the last cave some eons ago. Nanaki might have passed her; with all the snow in the air, she wouldn't have been able to see him if he had.

Trying to take her mind off the possibility of falling to her death from this close to the top, Yuffie amused herself envisioning her companions falling to their deaths. Cloud was first up, but she quickly grew bored of imagining Tifa's grief and later realization that Cloud was an idiot and she never should've liked the guy so much. She brought Cid to mind, trying to put together the string of curses that would follow him all the way down. Even his tombstone would probably read "%#&*!"-if they censored tombstones, that was. She figured it probably wasn't an issue that came up often.

Finally the winds began to die down, and the cliff's incline grew gentler, smoothing out into something walkable. Yuffie climbed the last stretch eagerly, reassuring her tired legs that it was just a little farther. On reaching the crest, they folded under her and she sat for a while staring blissfully at nothing.

It took her a moment to realize that something large and warm and red had settled at her side. In another moment, she recognized this furry thing as Nanaki. After yet a third moment, she finally managed a "Hey."

"Hey yourself," he replied gruffly, though the gruffness sounded like fatigue rather than annoyance.

"Cloud better let us rest here," Yuffie muttered.

"Somehow I doubt he will," Nanaki said dryly. "I think we should just hope he is far, far below us and that we have a while here before he catches up."

She nodded. "Yeah. Cloud's pretty set on finding her. Like a machine or something."

"He was in SOLDIER; that probably has something to do with it."

"Probably. But he keeps forgetting the rest of us are only human. Er... I mean..."

Nanaki glanced up at her, baring his teeth in what he must have meant to be a grin. "I know what you mean."

Once he'd turned away again, Yuffie eyed him suspiciously. He was being oddly friendly and agreeable for once, rather than acting all I'm-ignoring-you-because-I'm-smart-and-you're-not. Actually, he'd been acting pretty nice since they'd left Snow Village. She wondered why.

As she didn't like leaving questions unanswered, and he was sitting right there, she asked, "Why're you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"

He looked back at her, blinking. "Really, Yuffie, I could ask the same of you."

"Huh?"

"When we were crossing the snow fields, you were irritable and made it obvious that you were cooperating grudgingly. Since we left Snow Village, however, you've hardly complained at all, and have actually proved quite helpful."

Yuffie stared at him for a long moment. "Huh. I dunno, I guess it's colder here, and... Everybody just seems really tired. We're all kinda in the same boat with hating Cloud and, well, wanting to catch up."

"Fair enough."

"So what's your excuse?" she asked.

"I kept my distance because you did not seem to like me much," Nanaki explained simply. If he'd been human, he'd probably have shrugged.

She grinned sheepishly. "I kinda didn't. But I felt that way about a lot o' you guys after Wutai, y'know. And it was-what's the word?-mutual. But no hard feelings now, right?"

"Your theft did not bother me so much then, and not at all now, I assure you."

"Cloud sure made a big deal out of it..."

"Cloud can make a big deal out of anything; he is strung tight, I believe you would say."

"Yeah." Yuffie hesitated. "So-"

"Finally made it!" Tifa exclaimed breathlessly as she collapsed on the ridge not far from them, interrupting the ninja. She caught her breath, and then looked over at the pair. "You guys been waiting long?"

"Not long enough," Yuffie sighed.

The brunette eyed her oddly, and Nanaki explained: "The farther ahead of Cloud we are, the longer we can rest. But I suppose he's not far behind you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

Sure enough, the familiar spiky blond head appeared over the edge of the cliff, and Cloud joined them a moment later, panting. For a few minutes, Yuffie entertained the fantasy that he was tired enough to call for a rest-even an hour would be nice-but it was soon dispelled when the blond got to his feet and adjusted the sword on his back.

He looked around at everyone, then started for the crater with a pace that said 'let's get moving.' (Or maybe just 'let's mosey.')

They all came to a dead halt, however, when the broad expanse of the crater came into view. Yuffie gaped openly.

"Gods..." Tifa breathed.

"Will... will Meteor do this?" the ninja asked, staring at the deep wound and the green winds that reminded her of a cure spell. They seemed useless here.

Nanaki answered, with a slight shake of his head, "Meteor may do worse."

Cloud moved on first, and with great difficulty and low spirits, they continued down into the crater.

* * *

It felt strange to walk without the sound of hurried footsteps behind him, or the burden of a woman in his arms, or the annoyance of her incessant questions. It felt strange to be without her, even though they had only been travelling together for three days. If he hadn't known better, he might have thought he missed her.

But no; it was almost a liberating sort of strangeness, only 'liberating' was far too strong a word. He'd since stripped himself of the capacity for emotions so strong. Regardless, it was about time he left her behind to continue on alone.

_Are you satisfied now?_

Relatively alone, he corrected himself. Thanks to Jenova, he was never completely alone anymore. _Yes and no_, he replied.

_No? Haven't you done what you wanted?_

It will take more than that to finish her off.

I think you overestimate her. A slight nudge is all it will take now to crush her. Besides, Jenova went on almost pleasantly, _she may freeze to death, considering the state you left her in._

Somewhere inside of him that same unease awoke as had driven him across the Great Glacier in search of shelter. He kept moving forward. _She won't._

So certain? What if she simply lies there without the will to move? She'll die then. I am sure her friends will appreciate your gesture.

Sephiroth scoffed. _Aeris may be foolish, but she is no weakling. She will manage to survive._

And if she doesn't?

Then she is not worth my time.

You won't mourn her death? Jenova sneered.

_When have I ever mourned, Mother?_

Never, while I have known you. But neither have you shown any particular attraction to anyone. You seem to like this Cetra girl, though I suppose it is somewhat admirable that you choose to hurt her rather than love her openly.

Love_ her?_ he asked incredulously. _Now _that_ is a gross exaggeration. At times she intrigues me rather than annoys me, but that is far from love._

Yes, that's right. You're beyond love, aren't you? Her words were mocking, and he scowled.

_No one ever taught me how to love, Mother. Besides, it is a human thing, and it would be a waste of my time._

Indeed.

You don't believe me, Sephiroth stated.

_I know when you're lying as well as you do, if not better_, she replied. _But I can't blame you for pretending. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, part of you is human, and that part is susceptible to certain human weaknesses, like emotion. Nevertheless, you haven't let it get in our way yet._

Then why do you insist on bringing it up?

If a grin could be implied through thought, then Jenova was grinning. _There is nothing wrong with a little idle conversation, is there?_

You're in a good mood, he concluded flatly.

_The Cetra girl may die, you will soon summon Meteor, and we won't have to deal with the puppet much longer. Of course I am._

Sephiroth muttered a curse under his breath and pressed on through the first of the wind barriers the Planet had erected around its wound. He could feel the energy around him rising the closer he got to the center. It wasn't much farther, and not much longer that he would have to tolerate this alliance, this game, and those last shreds of emotion that continued to plague him.

* * *

She sat down wearily on the cold, rocky ground, ignoring the way it scraped her bare skin. She had gathered what little she had and begun working her way back out of the crater. After this point, however, there was no definite path, and she might lower her chances of running into Cloud if she went much farther.

Besides, she was tired. She didn't know how long she'd been walking, though it felt like hours. Raised in Midgar, she couldn't tell time by the sun and the moon. All she knew was that night still reigned.

Aeris carefully set down her assets. The shredded remains of Holzoff's clothing. Hugging those to her had at least warded off some of the cold. Then there were the fragments of the White Materia, which had served little purpose than to make tiny cuts in her palm. Lastly, there was the knife, which he had left her. That, at least, was still whole.

Cloud and the others were still a long ways behind her. At best, they might reach her after daybreak. She had to keep warm until then, keep herself alive and awake. She'd been shivering violently for some time now, not quite so badly as in the Great Glacier, but she had no one now to save her. Not like then.

She shoved all thoughts of Sephiroth and what he had done out of her mind before she could sink to berating herself again. That was the only way to get through this. To let her mind be as numb as her body.

With a little effort, she could pretend that all of this was just a nightmare. She would wake from it before it became unbearable. But until then, she still had to try. Wasn't that how nightmares went?

"P-planet?" Aeris queried aloud.

_Yes?_ it responded hesitantly.

"Is th-there anything you can do to h-help me?"

_I can help you with a fire, perhaps keep it alive longer, but... Cannot heal your wounds. Don't understand them._

She bit her lip and tried not to summon the details of those wounds. "I d-don't expect you to," she managed.

_Tried to warn you..._

"You did," she agreed quietly.

_Do you still want 'to keep on living no matter what'? Do you still believe life is precious?_

"I do... If I... If I give up n-now, then he's w-won. I c-can't l-let him w-w-win." A violent shiver ran through her, punctuated by a sneeze. "H-how about that f-fire?" she asked hopefully.

_You have to work a little for that_, it told her, as though gently reminding a child.

"How?"

_Ifalna did not teach you?_

"N-no."

_It is like your healing spells, but fire. Call up the element._

Aeris took a moment to think about it. Gods, she was cold. "I... I'm n-not sure I understand, b-but I'll t-try."

_All right._

She stripped herself of her ragged shirt, set it down before her, and focused, like she did with her healing spells. The special ones that didn't come from materia. She had never really understood them, but she had never tried asking her mother. Probably she should have, but until these past few weeks she'd scarcely even used them.

She concentrated on the little heap of rags and thought of fire. Somehow she could _feel_ the spell coming together more easily here. Was it because of her close proximity to the Lifestream? The same reason she could hear the Planet more clearly...

Hadn't Sephiroth told Cloud that the Ancients called up their magic from the Planet?

The scraps of cloth burst into flame.

Gods, she knew so little about herself.

_Yes, like that_, the Planet said, sending a complex mix of emotions. Relief and pride and still worry and pain and-

Sephiroth. Sephiroth had told Cloud...

_No!_ she told herself. _It didn't happen. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it..._

Aeris? the Planet queried anxiously.

She focused on its voice, focused on everything she heard from it, even its screams. For that moment, it overwhelmed her, its pain swarming over her senses so that she doubled over where she crouched, numb to thought. She drew back from that pain just enough so that it was bearable, but still it occupied her mind more strongly than she normally allowed it. Better to listen to the Planet's pain than her own.

"I...I'm all right," she said finally. She scooted a little closer to the small fire, curling up with her knees against her chest and her arms about them. "S-so that's how this w-works, is it? Thanks for the f-fire."

_Sure you're okay?_

"Yes." She paused. _Focus on staying alive. It's just a nightmare. What happened before now isn't relevant anymore._ "How l-long will the fire k-keep going?" she asked.

_Not certain. Will try to feed the spell as much as I can. I am afraid I don't have much energy to spare._

Aeris could feel the Lifestream whirling about the Planet's wound behind her, another constant reminder of its suffering. It dwarfed her own. "I know... Any help at all is m-much appreciated. I'll make it s-somehow."

_What will you tell your friends?_

"Tell them...?" she wondered, and it took her a moment to realize that whatever had happened or hadn't happened, they would ask her, out of a concern that she would rather not have right now. "I... I won't t-tell them. They won't know."

_...another lie?_

"I'll tell them anything they want to know, but n-not this. They won't know. I don't w-want them to know."

_Then how will you explain?_

"I... I'll burn all the clothes. N-no evidence there. And..." She finally recalled her bruises, and paused to heal them. "And then I'll j-just tell them what was true before we g-got to Holzoff's house."

_Not sure you should keep this from them._

"Please, Planet," Aeris begged. "I don't want sympathy from them. It... it would hurt. It would be a constant reminder. And it already... it already hurts enough. So please. Let's not talk about it."

_...all right._

They both fell silent after that. She could think of nothing else to say, and apparently the Planet shared her inability to talk of light-hearted subjects.

She gathered the pieces of the White Materia again in her hand and clasped them tightly. A broken talisman, but maybe the pain from its jagged edges digging into her palm would keep her awake. She focused on that pain and the Planet's pain and keeping the fire fed, and did everything she could to keep from thinking of Sephiroth. And to keep her gaze from falling on the knife; perhaps she shouldn't have kept it.

"...getting close..."

Aeris blinked, her vision coming into focus on the rocky ground before her. Voices... She heard voices. Familiar voices. Had Cloud and the others caught up? Were they just around the bend?

She couldn't recall blacking out, but it must have been some time ago. The fire had since run out of fuel and gone out, and she was so frozen she couldn't feel her limbs enough to move them. She could no longer feel the White Materia cutting into her palm, and maybe she had even dropped it somewhere. But it must have done her some good, if her friends were nearby.

"Oh, gods!"

She struggled to recognize the voice. Yuffie...?

"Guys, come quick!"

Aeris finally lifted her eyes as the ninja knelt down in front of her.

"Aeris, Aeris, are you okay? What happened? What did he...? Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods..."

"Y-yuffie..." she said, her own voice sounding small and distant. "I'm all right... Just tired. And c-cold."

"Aeris!" Cloud hurried to her side, and Tifa was not far behind.

Yuffie had set her pack down, and she was pulling out a blanket, wrapping it around Aeris as Cloud helped her to sit up.

The Cetra avoided their concerned gazes and wordless questions, clumsily tugging the blanket close around her, almost ashamed to have their help but grateful anyway as they forced warmth back into her skin. But gods, _he_ had been warmer.

She forced the thought out of her mind before it could take root.

Nanaki bumped against her and settled down close beside her, worry in his one eye. Hardly any words were spoken until they'd all made certain that feeling was returning to her limbs and she'd be all right. Then there came a sort of hush, and all four sat looking at her uncertainly, no one wanting to be the first to press what they'd already realized might be a difficult question.

Finally Tifa spoke, voice quiet, though not overly gentle, for which she was grateful. "Aeris, what happened?"

"I'm all right," she replied, her voice more steady this time, though her teeth still chattered some. "He only... Sephiroth only m-made me take off my clothes so that... I would s-suffer more on the journey here. And I have, but I'm still alive. What else m-matters?"

"He didn't...?" Cloud winced at having started the question and quickly cut himself off.

Aeris lifted her gaze to meet his blue eyes, finding them full of concern. "No, he didn't rape me," she said. The lie came out easily. "He's n-not cruel enough for that."

_The Sephiroth I thought I knew wouldn't rape me. I thought, deep down, there was still too much good left in him. I was wrong._

She lowered her gaze, drawing the blanket closer around her and unintentionally tightening her grip around the White Materia. _No_, she thought. _No, I couldn't have it all wrong. He hasn't killed off that part of him yet. But he's trying, isn't he? Just so he can't feel it anymore._

It's not such a bad idea, is it?

"...Aeris?"

"R-really, I'm fine," she insisted, not sure if they'd asked her something in the interval, or just fallen silent, uncomfortable with her answer even if she'd denied their worst fears. She forced a smile onto her face even as she tried to shove the memory back out of her mind. "Anyway, it's good to see friendly faces again."

Tifa tentatively returned the smile. "I'll bet it is. Let's see... Yuffie and I should have some clothes you can wear." She shrugged out of her pack as she spoke, gaze dropping from Aeris's.

"Thanks," Aeris murmured.

Yuffie had already started rummaging around in her own pack, but she stopped suddenly and turned to Cloud. "You, shoo. You've seen enough already."

He gave a start, and then blushed, as though realizing for the first time. Clearing his throat, he hurriedly got up to wait around a corner. Nanaki shook his head and followed, likely more because of Yuffie's disapproving gaze than from any need he felt to do so.

Aeris wished she could have found humor in Cloud's expression. Before, maybe, she would have. She gratefully accepted what clothing Tifa and Yuffie could offer her, waving off their apologies that it did not fit properly. Tifa had even bought her a coat at Snow Village, just in case. She could have cried for their kindness, but she just felt empty.

Finally, wearing mismatched garments and Tifa's old sneakers without any socks, Aeris got to her feet, and Tifa called the two males back.

"So... did you want to rest a while?" Cloud asked uncertainly.

Aeris shook her head as she shrugged into the coat. "I can last a bit longer if you want to keep going."

"_Should_ you keep going?" Tifa wondered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... You're not... Don't you need time to recover, from whatever Sephiroth did to you? Should you really be going any farther in the state you're in? You don't even have a means to fight anymore..."

"No," Aeris said before she could find any more reasons, "I can fight." She took a few steps and knelt to retrieve the knife. She had hurt him with this knife, however slightly. That was, perhaps, her only consolation at the moment. "This is a weapon, isn't it? And I've still got magic. There's no way you're leaving me behind."

The others exchanged glances.

"What've you got in your other hand?" Yuffie asked suddenly.

For a moment she had no idea what the ninja was talking about. She lifted her hand and remembered then that she had the White Materia. "I..."

_No need to lie about this_, the Planet interjected.

Aeris nodded slightly, and opened her palm to let them see. At first they only looked confused, and Tifa exclaimed over the rather bad cuts in her hand which she had just begun to feel again.

But Yuffie, of course, recognized the fragments for what they were. "Hey... is that...?" Her eyes widened. "Holy shit, he didn't break _that_, did he?"

"Yuffie, watch your language," Tifa said automatically.

"But-"

"He did," Aeris answered quietly. _And it's all he's broken. I'm not broken yet._ She shouldn't have had to remind herself of this.

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked, bewildered.

"I would like to know as well," Nanaki said flatly, unable to see what she held from his vantage point.

"The White Materia."

The feline's one eye widened in surprise. "Sephiroth knows how to destroy materia?"

She nodded dumbly.

"No wonder you're not smiling," Cloud said sadly. "That was your mom's, right? And it summoned something to stop Meteor?"

The Cetra blinked. How had he known that? "Yes... I summoned Holy with it... But now..."

They all fell silent.

"Let me get you some gloves..." Tifa said, rummaging in her pack once more.

"Where are the others anyway?" Aeris wondered.

"We split up at the base of the cliffs, since we can climb faster than the others," Tifa explained, looking up and handing her a pair of work gloves. "We wanted to find you as quickly as possible."

She managed a smile, scarcely. "Thank you..." She was relieved to find that she meant it, a little. It was hard to feel anything.

A short pause.

"...are you all ready to go?" Cloud asked, still hesitant about Aeris going on.

"Yes," Aeris replied quietly. "Let's go."

They started back down the path into the crater, Aeris content to stay at the rear, though she was surprised the others let her. She tucked the knife away, carefully put the pieces of the White Materia into one pocket of her coat, and pulled on the gloves.

Finally Yuffie dropped back to join her. "He shouldn't have cut your hair," she said quietly.

"I don't mind so much."

"It was pretty, though."

"Was it?"

The ninja regarded her uncertainly. "I don't know what else he did to you, but get better soon, okay?" And then she was gone, back to the front of the group.

Aeris stared after her.

_...how?_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The original version used a lot more first-person thoughts, and this is one of the few places where I decided to leave most of them in instead of working them into the narration. I guess it still works here since Aeris is so very much inside her own head.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

He sat on the rocky ground, just beyond the final wind barrier, waiting for Cloud. He found he was no longer impatient, now that the puppet had found Aeris. It was the same annoying relief as he had felt upon reaching Holzoff's house, and he ignored it.

_See?_ he asked of Jenova. _I was right._

_So you were_, she agreed. _She did make it until they found her-barely._

_It is better that way. If death is traumatizing, then near-death should not be far off._

_It would be better for us if she were dead_, Jenova corrected irritably. _Never mind your little game._

He sighed. _She is no longer a threat, Mother. You know we are powerful enough to stop Holy, and there is little else she can do._

_Little, perhaps, but something nonetheless. If she is willing to refuse her friends' sympathy, then she is willing to keep up her mission to dissuade you from summoning Meteor._

_Somehow it does not surprise me that she chose to lie to them_, Sephiroth mused. _Even now, she tries to convince herself that I am someone else. I doubt she will manage to keep that up for much longer._

Jenova waited impatiently.

_Her words will not sway me, Mother_, he assured her. _She lies to herself, so what is there to stop her from lying to me as well?_

His mother chose not to comment. Instead she asked, _Do you think she will interfere with your plans?_

Sephiroth shook his head. _If anything, she will facilitate them. The puppet has always been torn between her and Tifa; Aeris is in no condition to offer support, and if he is unable to focus all his attention on Tifa... Her words will be rendered quite ineffectual._

_And if the Cetra does try to aid him?_

_She won't. Her own lie has provided me with the perfect blackmail._

_I suppose now you intend to run her down._

Sephiroth smiled. _The puppet will not survive what I have planned for him. He'll leave them devastated and leaderless. If Aeris is fragile now, she won't hold together amidst their despair and the realization she can do nothing for it. Too bad I will not be able to watch._

Jenova was silent for a moment, and he knew that she was less than amused. _The Cetra girl is no less dangerous than she was before. If she is still standing when next you see her, I suggest you kill her._

_Mother, you worry far too much._

* * *

They reached the first of the whirling barriers of Lifestream, and Cloud decided they should rest and wait for the others to catch up. They had found Aeris, after all, so they didn't have quite so much to worry about. It sounded selfish; the Planet's life was at stake, but now that Aeris was back with them, catching up to Sephiroth didn't seem so urgent.

Although, he couldn't quite say he was relieved to have her back. She was alive, yes, and she wasn't an emotional wreck, no. But something about the way she was acting made him uncomfortable. She was just so much more distant than he was used to. Disconnected.

Maybe he was just tired, and imagining it. Maybe she was just tired, and couldn't summon the conviction that normally went into her words. Probably they were all just tired.

So Cloud called the group to a halt just outside the wind wall, and he promptly sat down on the ground. The others all collapsed on whatever bit of rock they deemed least uncomfortable, Aeris seating herself the farthest down the path, a little distance away from the others.

"We'll wait for the others here," Cloud said.

It earned him an exclamation of relief from Yuffie, and everyone but Aeris readied themselves to get some rest. Cloud watched her with a frown until she glanced in his direction. He gave a start, but it was too late to look away and pretend he hadn't been staring.

Her expression softened, just a little. "Something on your mind, Cloud?"

He broke her gaze, looking anywhere but at that shadow of her usual smile. "I don't really want to bug you," he said. "If it's too soon to ask."

"It's not," she assured him with that ghost of a smile. "You're full of questions, go ahead and ask them."

Cloud ran a hand through his hair, wondering where to start. The others watched him, apparently no more sure of how to approach it than he was. This whole thing was making him realize that Aeris was stronger than he'd imagined, but still, none of it could be easy for her to talk about.

At last he decided on the question they'd all been asking from the beginning. "Why did Sephiroth take you?"

She hesitated. "He... was angry with me for calling Holy, so he decided to punish me. And... killing me wouldn't have been enough, for him."

"He wanted it to be worse than dying?" Tifa asked faintly, uneasy as they all were with the implication.

"It wasn't," Aeris said quickly. "I was always on the edge of freezing to death or starving or... And he isn't exactly the best of company either."

"You're making light," Tifa stated with a frown. "He must've done something worse than that."

The Cetra shook her head, glancing off. "No. It wasn't about that. He... likes his mind games, I guess. I'd rather not say more."

Though Cloud knew something about head games, he wasn't convinced. She was holding something back, but he couldn't press her. Partly, he admitted, because he didn't want to think about it himself. "All right," he said. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you run off by yourself in the first place? You almost got yourself killed."

She didn't answer immediately, but frowned as if this was even more unpleasant a question to consider than the last. "I thought I'd be safer if I was farther from you, Cloud."

He opened his mouth to protest even before he could really understand what she meant, but she went on before he could get any words out.

"Sephiroth calls you 'the puppet.' You're your own person, but at the same time, he has power over you. He used it at the Temple, and again at the City. I didn't want you stopping me from completing my mission. But..." At last she looked back at him, an apology in her eyes. "You were stronger than I thought. He couldn't make you kill me."

She said it so easily, and without any malice, but he felt sick at hearing those words. He _had_ almost killed her, back in the City, and he didn't feel any stronger for having stopped himself at the last moment.

Tifa seemed to notice the effect Aeris's words had had on him, and she spoke up again. "Did Sephiroth say anything... about why he can do that to Cloud?"

Aeris hesitated. "Nothing that I could understand."

"What _did_ he say?"

"I don't know enough," she insisted. "If I can't say for sure, it'll do more harm than good."

"Why do you get to decide?" Tifa asked, her voice falling quiet though she sounded hurt. "Isn't it something that affects all of us?"

"I'm sorry."

They all avoided each other's gazes in the short silence that followed, frustrated with the distance between them and uncomfortable with pressing Aeris even as much as they had.

Yuffie's voice cut into the quiet, for once a welcome interruption. "We're just saying, we really wish you wouldn't keep so much secret from us, Aeris. We're all friends here, you can trust us, right?"

"I do trust you," Aeris answered, still not looking at any of them. "But everything has its limit."

Cloud wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he was sure it meant they wouldn't get more out of her. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You'll tell us when you do know, right?"

"I will."

"Then, that'll have to be good enough," he decided. "Now let's all get some rest while we can."

* * *

The others caught up while they still slept, creating just enough of a ruckus to wake Tifa. She could understand their excitement; this was the first they'd learned that Aeris was all right. Still, she met their arrival with a certain amount of bleariness, and despite the urgency of their mission, woke Cloud with some reluctance.

"We've got a big fight coming up," he said to her. "You ready for it?"

Tifa gave a decisive nod. Inwardly, she wondered if they really would fight Sephiroth. Cloud had said that a few times before, sure that this time, this time they'd take him out. She knew they had to, for the sake of the Planet and for their own personal vendettas, but however supportive she tried to be, she was beginning to doubt they'd ever be able to. They hadn't once had the opportunity to fight him.

Soon they all stood ready to go. Cloud made his way to the front of the group, nodding to each of them as he passed, his gaze lingering just a moment longer on Aeris before moving on. Tifa followed him, and they stopped at the wind wall.

"Doesn't look like it'll be easy to get through," Cloud observed with a frown.

"Shoulda thought o' that earlier," Barret commented.

The blond shot him a look.

Aeris stepped forward to join them. "The gusts die down every once and a while," she said. "We should be able to make it through then."

"Can't you ask the Planet to let us through?" Tifa wondered, craning her neck to try to make out how high the wall stretched. "This is from the Lifestream, isn't it?"

She shook her head. "I shouldn't ask too many favors of the Planet."

Cloud opened his mouth, maybe to ask what favors she'd been asking lately, or maybe to ask her to make just one more request. Whatever it was, he seemed to decide against it and said instead, "Then we'll wait."

It took only a matter of minutes for the winds to slow, and they hurried through. Tifa shivered, not from the cold, but from the rushing in her ears that sounded more like voices than just wind. She couldn't help feeling they'd ventured into a place no humans were meant to enter.

They continued along the narrowing rocky path, mindful of the growing chasm on either side. Before long they were walking single file. They passed through two more wind walls, each, at its fastest, more ferocious than the last. Beyond the last wall, though, things seemed to calm. The green of the Lifestream diffused into a pale light, and even the bitter cold eased, leaving them in a still, cool air which gave Tifa a sense of foreboding.

They all tensed at the sight of a handful of black-garbed figures, but none of them were Sephiroth himself, only the few clones that had made it this far and still struggled onwards. As they watched, one lost his footing and fell without a cry. Tifa winced, and looked away. It was a sad fate for these people, if you could even call them that anymore.

Cloud let out a yell and started forward, snapping her attention back to the path ahead. Sephiroth had appeared out of nowhere and cut down the last surviving clones with the Masamune. He didn't even acknowledge Cloud until he'd shoved the last black form off into the abyss beside the path. He turned then, arching an eyebrow in apparent amusement, and his gaze seemed to stop Cloud a few paces ahead of the rest of the group. Tifa tried to will herself to join him, but her legs wouldn't move.

Sephiroth's attention slid past Cloud, past her, and on to Aeris.

"We won't let you go any farther!" Cloud shouted to him, drawing his sword. He seemed confident enough, Tifa thought, feeling some of her doubts leave her at his voice. She managed a few steps forward before Sephiroth returned his focus to Cloud.

"Do you really think you can change anything?" he asked.

"If we kill you, it's over. Meteor won't come."

"So she hasn't told you that either," Sephiroth remarked, glancing again at Aeris. Then he turned away from them. "Take this, Cloud. You will need it."

And suddenly he was gone. The large orb of the Black Materia lay nestled in a hollow of the path where he'd been standing, catching the green light from the Lifestream and turning it to red.

When Tifa looked to Cloud to gauge his reaction, she realized he didn't even seem to have noticed. Instead he stood looking about him in confusion, as though someone had called his name and he was trying to catch sight of them.

"Cloud?" Tifa said uncertainly.

"...the Jenova Reunion, huh?" he muttered, so quietly he probably hadn't expected her to hear, but in this unnatural calm, every sound carried. He looked back at her, and his eyes seemed distant somehow. "This is where it's happening..." Noticing her confusion, he shook his head dismissively and even smiled slightly, the expression decidedly out-of-place. "Never mind that. Sephiroth must be just ahead."

Tifa kept her eyes on him, carefully studying his face. "What are we going to do with the Black Materia?" she asked.

Cloud looked over at it, seeming to notice it for the first time. Immediately he strode for it, but Aeris let out a sharp gasp, and he paused, stooped over with his fingers inches from touching it.

"Don't touch it," the Cetra said urgently before he could voice his confusion. "Don't... Not you, Cloud. Let someone else, if we have to. Gods, why did he even leave it here...?"

The blond straightened and returned to the group. "I'm not sure what's going on," he said, "but maybe we should leave some people behind with the Black Materia. If we don't want Sephiroth to have it, we can't take it with us."

"Right," Tifa agreed, pushing her worries aside now that his confidence was returning.

"So who stays behind?" Cait Sith wondered, probably well aware he'd be among them.

"I'm going for sure," Tifa said immediately.

"Me, too," Aeris said more softly.

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked her.

She nodded.

To everyone's surprise, Vincent stepped forward. "I will accompany you."

"All right," Cloud said. "The rest of you, stay here and make sure Sephiroth doesn't get the Black Materia." He knelt down briefly. "Nanaki, I'm counting on you."

The feline nodded, drawing himself up. "We will not let him take it, I assure you."

Cloud straightened and, joining the smaller party, started forward along the path. Ahead, it widened and rose to a crest, but before they could see beyond it, everything around them vanished into a flood of white. Tifa stumbled to a stop, looking around frantically, but could see neither the path nor her companions.

"What's going on?" she asked aloud, hoping she'd still hear them nearby.

"I don't know," Cloud answered from a little ways in front of her. "Sephiroth must be trying to trick us."

She took a few cautious steps forward until she could feel the back of his shirt, and waited there, listening tensely. If Sephiroth meant to attack them blinded, she'd have to rely on sound, and touch. But aside from faint breathing and scuffling as they all moved a little closer together, she heard nothing.

Then, in a flash, an all-too-familiar sight replaced the white. Nibelheim spread out before them, the gate just ahead. Tifa drew back from Cloud before her hand could fist in his shirt.

"A very detailed illusion," Vincent murmured, looking around them. Tifa often forgot he had painful memories of his own from this place. Of the four of them, only Aeris had no real ties to Nibelheim.

"What... is he showing us this for?" Tifa wondered, almost wishing for the blinding white back.

Cloud turned back to her with a shrug, though she could see a tenseness still in his shoulders. "Who knows? Let's just keep going. It might be an illusion, but maybe we can still get somewhere."

The others nodded, but Sephiroth suddenly appeared by the gate, startling even Vincent. He was looking at someone apparently behind them, and Tifa blinked. As he turned around and said, "Let's go," she realized she had seen this before-it was simply the same scene that had occurred five years earlier, when Sephiroth had arrived in Nibelheim.

Then...

The three men who followed Sephiroth into the village were those from _her_ memory, not Cloud's. That young SOLDIER with unruly black hair, accompanied by a pair of troopers. Anxiety settled into her heart to stay.

Aeris's gaze was fixed on the black-haired SOLDIER, as though she had just found proof of something she desperately did not want to believe. "Zack..." she whispered.

Tifa glanced quickly at Cloud, praying he hadn't heard, but his eyes were already on Aeris.

"Zack?" he asked slowly. "Wasn't that... the name of that couple's son, back in Gongaga? The guy you..."

"My first boyfriend," Aeris finished quietly.

There was an edge in Cloud's voice as he went on. "If you know him, then tell me: why is _he_ in this illusion and not me?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I wasn't there."

"But you can guess, can't you?"

"He _was_ in SOLDIER, like you," she said. "And I told you, it was about five years ago I stopped hearing from him. Beyond that..."

Cloud let her alone with that and looked towards the black-haired SOLDIER, whose image had frozen just before the gate. "Zack, huh? Never knew him."

Aeris said nothing, and Tifa bit her lip.

The world around them vanished for an instant, replaced just as suddenly by the sight of Nibelheim in flames. They stood near the town well, already starting to collapse on itself as the fire consumed it whole. Tifa could feel the heat surrounding her just the same as the day it had really happened. Beads of sweat formed on her skin, and she clenched her teeth to keep her mouth from twisting into any other expression.

Aeris and Vincent stood taking it all in with a quiet awe, not having seen the real thing. Cloud had much the same reaction as Tifa; she could see him tense up for an instant, and then force himself not to react. It was so real, the only thing she could do was keep telling herself it was just an illusion, and try to distance herself from it. It seemed the same for Cloud, and she wanted that to be some sort of proof that he really had been there.

Finally Cloud turned to look back at the Shinra mansion. "I'll bet Sephiroth's going to have that Zack guy come out of the mansion instead of me," he said. In his story, this was where he should have burst onto the scene, after all.

"Cloud..." Tifa began.

He watched as the black-haired Zack came out of the mansion, and Zangan shouted to him. Their voices, at least, sounded muffled, distant.

"What is it, Teef?"

"Don't watch. Please."

"Why? It's not like this is what really happened." He hesitated, his confidence failing a little as he studied her face. "Right, Tifa? I was the one who came to Nibelheim five years ago. Not Zack."

"I know, but what if...?" She trailed off, and looked down at her feet. How could she possibly tell him? What was she supposed to say? _No, Cloud, you never came. I waited, but you never came._ What would happen if she told him that his story, his whole reason for this journey, couldn't possibly be true? And even then, she didn't know if she'd be right.

"Perhaps you should tell him now, Tifa."

Panic shot through her, and she whirled around to find Sephiroth not far from them, leaning against the well even as the flames licked the wood and danced around him.

"Then again, it's probably too late."

"Too late for what?" Cloud demanded.

"Why don't you ask her?" Sephiroth suggested coolly.

He turned to Tifa. "What's he talking about?"

"Please," she repeated, her voice soft and uncertain at first, but rising as she went on. "Don't ask me now. I don't understand anything. I just know... Don't listen to him. No matter what he says... don't believe it."

"Why are you so worried, if it's all just lies?"

This time she could only shake her head, and she could feel Cloud's eyes on her. She could imagine the confusion and anxiety on his face, and she couldn't bring herself to look up at that.

"I suppose that's the best you can do," Sephiroth said lightly. "Too weak to speak the truth, and too frightened to face it in the first place. Shall I tell him instead?"

"Don't, Sephiroth," Aeris broke in, her voice quiet, but with an edge to it. "Don't you dare twist the truth so he'll believe what you want."

He straightened, striding towards her, and Tifa froze in fear. Cloud reached for his sword. But Sephiroth simply stopped a foot before the Cetra, looking down at her scornfully. "Or what, Aeris? What could you possibly do to me?"

She lifted a hand to touch a rip in his sleeve, near his wrist. "I cut you, in more ways than one I'm sure. I'm not weak."

"Shall I tell them how _I_ hurt _you_?"

She paled at the question, dropping her hand.

Sephiroth grinned and turned his back on her, fixing his gaze on Cloud. "I doubt that _she_ will tell you either."

"Leave Aeris out of this," Cloud growled, "and get to the point. What the hell are you trying to say by showing me all this?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

"All right, so you say I wasn't in Nibelheim. So what? It's not true."

"Isn't it? Why do you think Tifa is so frightened? Why do you think the Cetra actually tried to shield you from my words?"

He shook his head. "Aeris knows you. And Tifa..."

She winced as he trailed off and took a few steps closer to him. "Come on, Cloud. You... You know you were here, right?"

Cloud nodded firmly, meeting Sephiroth's gaze. "Right. I came to Nibelheim five years ago. We went to the reactor on Mt. Nibel, and saw what they were doing there. And then, then you snapped and burned my hometown to the ground. I know all that. I _remember_ it. How can you say I wasn't there and expect me to believe it?"

"You weren't there," Sephiroth stated. "And the reason has very much to do with why you've been so useful to me. You even tried to kill Aeris for me."

"_Useful_ to you?"

"Stop it, Sephiroth, please..." Aeris whispered.

"Cloud Strife... Hm. Perhaps there was a Cloud Strife once, but certainly you are not the same man. Actually, I am not certain you should even be called a man. You are nothing but a crude experiment, an incomplete and vastly inferior clone of myself, created by Hojo some months after the Nibelheim incident. Hojo deemed you a failure, but you've proven far more worthy than the other clones."

"Clone?" Cloud exclaimed. "That's bullshit!"

"Then why is it I can control you? Just like a puppet."

Cloud was shaking his head. "But I remember things-growing up in Nibelheim, knowing Tifa, going off to Midgar to join SOLDIER..."

"There was never a Cloud Strife in SOLDIER. No doubt you took your 'memories' from Tifa. Perhaps she knew a boy named Cloud once; the Jenova cells in you allowed you to take that persona. The power of Jenova is that of deception."

"Cloud, don't listen," Tifa pleaded, taking his arm to pull his attention away from Sephiroth. "It's not true. You _are_ Cloud. How could you be someone... something... else? You're human. You're Cloud."

He looked at her uncertainly. "Am I your Cloud, though? Am I really the Cloud you remember?"

"_Yes_," she answered, the word leaping out of her not from any conviction but just because she _wanted_ it to be true. She went on, gripped with a terrible anxiety. "Yes, you're my Cloud, the Cloud I knew in Nibelheim. You _can't_ be someone else, even if... Even if..."

"My memories are all wrong?"

She fell silent.

He shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry, Teef. I know... I know a lot of what I remember is screwed up, and there are some gaps... But that doesn't mean I'm a Sephiroth clone or something. Ha! How could I possibly be a clone of _him_? This is all an illusion that Sephiroth's making up. He just wants to confuse me."

"Cloud..."

"The illusion is in your mind," Sephiroth stated coolly. "This"-he gestured around them-"is the truth."

"It can't be," Cloud insisted. "I remember being here. I remember the heat of the flames, and I remember going to the reactor to stop you. Just because I have gaps in my memory doesn't mean what I _do_ remember isn't true."

"Tell me, 'Cloud'-how many of your so-called memories have nothing whatsoever to do with Tifa? Can you recall anything before you met her? Can you remember anything from when you left Nibelheim to join SOLDIER, and when you returned?"

Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but no words seemed to come to him, and an expression of frustration and disbelief came to his face.

Tifa bit her lip. Did he really not remember anything? _Was_ he what Sephiroth said? Was he really... _not_ her Cloud?

More importantly, did it matter if he was the real Cloud or not?

"Cloud," she said, trying to get his attention again. "Cloud, what does it matter?" He looked back at her, dazed, as she continued. "I don't know what's true, but... Even if Sephiroth _were_ right, it wouldn't change anything. You're still Cloud. I still... I still care about you. And we still have to go on, don't we?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... I guess we do."

"We came here for a purpose, didn't we?"

"We did." He turned to look back at Sephiroth, and she followed his gaze only to find that he had disappeared. They looked around; he was gone.

Cloud broke away from her, startling her, and she did her best to pull herself together. She glanced at the others. Aeris looked drained, and Vincent... It was hard to tell with him. Vincent looked about the same as he always did.

"He must've gone on ahead," Cloud decided. "He's waiting for us."

"Cloud," Aeris said suddenly, "maybe you shouldn't go on."

"What? Why not?"

She faltered, looking down at her hands. "I... I don't know. Just, maybe you shouldn't."

"I'm going," he stated. "I've got a score to settle."

They turned to go on, but everything again vanished in white, and the next minute they found themselves suddenly at the base of the crater. The rock walls surrounding them were completely encased in condensed Mako, natural and abundant, and standing amidst them were Rufus Shinra, Scarlet, and Professor Hojo.

"Hey!" Scarlet yelped, just as startled as Tifa. "Where did you guys come from?"

"Don't know," Cloud answered in a murmur. He stood a little away from the group, his back to them and his head down. "You should leave."

"What?"

"You'll die if you stay."

"What is he talking about?" Rufus demanded.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked uncertainly.

He didn't respond. The Shinra began talking amongst themselves, but Cloud was silent and Tifa paid them no attention.

"Cloud!" she called.

Still he didn't answer. Only Aeris even seemed to notice her, and the Cetra looked resigned, as if she'd decided there was nothing more she could do. She cast Tifa a tired, sympathetic look, but said nothing. Vincent seemed confused, and maybe even a little worried.

Suddenly Yuffie came running up, breathless. "Hey, Cloud!" She stumbled, nearly tripping as she came to a stop, and looked around in confusion at the others gathered there. Then she shook her head. "Tifa said you needed my help."

_What? I didn't-_

Cloud raised his head and nodded. "That's right. You brought the Black Materia?"

"Um... yeah." The ninja hesitated, glancing at Aeris and Vincent as if for confirmation. Like the others, she seemed oblivious to Tifa's presence. "Shouldn't I give it to someone else, or...?"

He shook his head. "No. I'll take it from here."

"Cloud! Stop it! Yuffie, don't give it to him!"

But no one heard her. Aeris offered up no protest, though her face fell as the Black Materia passed into Cloud's hands.

"Thanks"-Cloud hesitated as though struggling to remember her name-"Yuffie."

"Cloud! Please, listen to me!"

At last he turned to look at her, and the look in his eyes stunned her into silence. "I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm not... I can't..." He sighed. "I'm really sorry. Everyone... I'm sorry."

And suddenly he had gone, flown-carried?-up to a tangle of branches overhead.

"What was that all about?" Rufus asked.

"I believe he was one of the Sephiroth clones I created after the Nibelheim incident," Hojo replied. "I made them to test a theory I had..."

The scientist rambled on, and Tifa tuned him out. Everyone seemed frozen but the Shinra, who were oddly unconcerned with what had just happened. Tifa craned her neck to find Cloud in the branches up above them. She could hardly see him through the tangle, but she screamed his name and begged him to stop until her voice was hoarse. He didn't so much as flinch.

Finally, she saw him stand.

"Oh no," Aeris breathed suddenly, though by her face she had known what was going to happen. At first Tifa couldn't manage to put together what exactly that was.

The ground began to quake, crystal slivers of materia breaking loose from the walls and shattering on the rock at their feet. As the shaking grew more pronounced, several of those branches overhead snapped, and something shifted. Tifa caught sight of Sephiroth in the Mako above, and suddenly she understood.

Cloud had given him back the Black Materia.

"Sir, we have to go, now!" Scarlet exclaimed.

Rufus nodded, and even he seemed to be losing some of his cool. "Right. We must evacuate immediately." He turned to Vincent and the others, with a glance aside at Tifa as though just noticing her. "You all will accompany me, of course. I've some things I'd like to ask you."

Not waiting for an answer, he started back down the path at a hurried walk, Scarlet and Hojo following.

"Tifa, come on!" Yuffie shouted.

"But... Cloud's still-!"

"There's nothing we can do for him," Aeris said with a shake of her head. "Let's just concentrate on making it out."

"By going with Shinra?"

The Cetra's voice took on a sense of urgency. "We don't have a choice right now. Cloud was right; if we stay, we die."

Torn, Tifa could only stand there shaking her head in disbelief. Was Cloud going to die here? She couldn't bear to imagine it. She threw her head back again, staring up at him still there above them. "_Cloud!_"

But still he didn't answer, and someone had grabbed her arms and was dragging her away.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Please insert Disc 2.

Does anybody else miss those from older games? That's how I knew how far I was. I always felt so accomplished.

Oh well. Anyway, this is where I started cutting out bigger chunks of things. The characters themselves always wind up with questions to ask the others, and when I'm writing things out the first time I tend to let them. So initially they had more questions for Aeris, but they weren't really relevant to the plot so I cut them out. I also cut out the beginning of the final scene, since it was pretty much just "hey guys, oh awesome Aeris is all right, let's go" and nothing interesting.

On a completely unrelated note, apparently FFnet eats characters with umlauts. Oops.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Meteor, the ultimate destructive magic, was finally, finally, within his grasp. Here he floated in the center of the Northern Crater, surrounded by the Planet's lifeblood, feeling that power flow through him and calling out to this body of magic so complex that it seemed almost to possess a consciousness of its own.

He could feel it respond to him, and just capturing its attention assured him that anyone who was content to live powerless was a fool. To have so much power flowing through his veins and to have such a force as Meteor answer his summons was intoxicating. It made him feel already like the god he meant to become.

It made him feel _alive_, as he had not felt for a long, long time, save for that brief, violent, passionate moment with her.

He felt Meteor shift decisively, and he smiled.

So it would come. Holy would fail, and everything would turn to chaos. Sephiroth almost regretted killing all those so-called clones. He had to wait for it here in the center of the Planet's wound, and so without them he had no eyes and ears to the rest of the world. He could not keep an eye on Aeris, nor on Shinra, nor on the rest of the puppet's band.

Although...

He sensed that Cloud had not died as he had expected. Perhaps the puppet could serve him a little longer, if he survived the high Mako exposure. Perhaps Sephiroth could still play with the Cetra.

She fascinated him. He fully admitted that. Just when he began to think her impossibly predictable, she would do something to surprise him. She was neither as selfless or as innocent as she pretended, and it was both amusing and frustrating to watch her attempts to keep up that silly flower girl facade.

But always, always, she was stronger than he thought her to be. Perhaps she was right, and he could not break her, but he could push her to the edge, where it still meant something, where it still hurt.

The power he had gathered to call Meteor had drained from him, leaving him feeling empty, a husk of what he had been moments ago. If he truly lacked a soul, that was all he should have been, but a shell of a man would not have had the drive to come so far. It would not have needed to.

For now, he felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to rest. He pushed Aeris from his thoughts, closed his mind to Jenova, and let himself drift to sleep.

* * *

"So? How's she doin'?"

Aeris shook her head, more to regain her senses than to answer him, but Barret seemed to take it as a bad sign. "Physically there's nothing wrong with her," she said quietly before he could voice his assumption. "She must have collapsed from the shock."

"When's she gonna wake up?"

"I don't know." With a sigh, Aeris pushed herself up from where she'd been kneeling beside Tifa and met his gaze. "It's not like a physical wound. That, I could just figure out how much energy it would take to heal. But this... Cloud might be dead, and she knows that. I guess... Tifa didn't know whether she could go on without him. So she just shut down."

Barret nodded solemnly. "...you go get some rest, Aeris. You been watchin' over Tifa for hours."

She smiled faintly. "Thanks."

He hesitated before asking, "Are _you_ awright?"

"I'm fine. I haven't given up on Cloud yet."

Barret scratched his head awkwardly, breaking her gaze. "We, uh... thought you kinda..."

"I know," she cut in so he wouldn't have to fumble any further. "He just... reminded me of someone. But that's all. He means a lot more to Tifa."

"Jus' friends, huh?" Barret concluded, then shrugged as though it weren't really any of his business.

Aeris opted to leave the matter at that. "Well," she said, "I'll go see if I can catch any sleep."

The Highwind was a large ship, really something to see, and Aeris wished she could enjoy the flight. Cloud had promised to take her on this airship once, but now she was here with the others, and only with Rufus Shinra's permission. That alone made her uneasy, and it didn't help that Hojo was onboard.

Most of the others shared her feelings, walking freely about the ship but guardedly, avoiding the bridge where Rufus had installed himself. And after what had happened, they had a hard time meeting each other's gazes. No one wanted to think about Cloud, much less ask each other's opinions. Only Cid had something to be happy about. Anyone could tell he was thrilled to be on the ship, enough to forget about their problems and joke with the crew as if they'd known each other for years. He sobered himself around his companions with visible effort.

Aeris shuffled into the quarters some crew member or another had shown her to once they'd gotten on their way. Supposedly she shared the room with Yuffie, but she doubted the girl would get much sleep considering her motion sickness. The Cetra sat down wearily on the lower bunk, not even sure she would be able to sleep. She hadn't rested since hours earlier, when they'd first left the crater, and then fitfully and not for very long. To be honest, she hadn't slept well since...

Holzoff's house. Two days ago.

Had it really only been two days? she wondered. It seemed like that short respite had been ages ago. Sephiroth had actually almost seemed to care, back then. Maybe he really did. The Planet had said so. Gods, she had thought so herself.

But what about Sephiroth? He had always scoffed whenever she remarked on his kindness. If he cared about her at all, no doubt he didn't let himself think about it, or even realize it. Was that why he was so determined to destroy her, because he couldn't stand the thought that he might care? Did he want to prove to himself that he didn't?

What a fool he was.

She dropped her face into her hands. "And I'm just as stupid, for actually worrying about him... Almost as much as I'm worried about Cloud."

There was no one around to hear her. Aeris sighed, the sound lost in the hum of the ship. Cloud... Now there was a mixed-up man. She wished she could pick out the truth in what Sephiroth had told them-for there had been some truth in it. Cloud was not entirely human, and it wasn't just the Mako treatments. If he had Jenova in him, it certainly explained a few things.

But had he gone to Nibelheim those five years ago? Tifa certainly hadn't said anything to confirm it. But if Cloud hadn't gone on that mission, how did he know so much about what had happened? Even Tifa's memory wouldn't have held all that.

If only Aeris had been able to lie for him. If she had just spoken up and told him, 'You're human, don't trust him,' maybe he would have accepted it, because she was a Cetra.

Or maybe he wouldn't have believed her, after finding out how less than honest she'd been with them. Maybe he would have seen the words for what they were, just an attempt to strengthen his belief in himself.

She wished that Cloud could be here now, so that they could straighten things out. She had always known there was something off about his story, even though she could offer nothing to refute it. She wanted to know what had _really_ happened those five years ago. She wanted to know who Cloud really was.

Tifa deserved to know, too. She deserved to know who she was in love with, be it the Cloud Strife she had known since childhood, or a nameless, numberless, and failed clone of Sephiroth.

Aeris was hoping for the former.

She was hoping Cloud was even alive. Tifa had fallen unconscious just as they were leaving the so-called Promised Land, and hadn't woken since. Seeing Cloud like that, hearing Sephiroth's words, watching them up above... it must have been too much for her. Tifa had always tried to remain optimistic and cheer everyone up, but maybe just this once, she had assumed the worst, and been devastated by the possibility.

"Planet?" Aeris whispered.

But she couldn't seem to hear it aboard the airship. Its words were muffled, its song distorted, only its pain still clear. It would be worse in Junon, she knew. That's where Rufus had said they were headed-Junon. It was hardly any better than Midgar.

* * *

Far below the airship, Yuffie could see nothing but ocean, fading to white on the horizon before blending into the blue of the sky. Yuffie wondered if it was the same ocean they had crossed from Junon to Costa del Sol. She had thought _that_ trip had been bad, but this airship travel was worse. And with her stomach churning like this, she couldn't seem to focus on anything, and she had a lot she needed to think about.

Like what had happened to Cloud, and why Tifa wouldn't wake up, and why Aeris had stopped smiling, and how the hell they were going to get out of this whole situation. Maybe they had as many people on the Highwind as Rufus did, but Cloud was missing and Tifa was out and everyone but Cid was feeling down and just plain exhausted. Moreover, Rude of the Turks was onboard, and Turks were always bad news. To top it all off, they were headed straight for Junon, Shinra's military stronghold.

Thinking about everything piling up like that seemed to worsen her nausea, and she swallowed hard. She closed her eyes, and after long minutes of deep breathing, she felt it was safe to think again.

"Are you feeling any better?" Nanaki asked from beside her. He must have just come back out onto the deck.

"Maybe a little," she said, which wasn't really the case, but she'd already gone off complaining to him twice before, and she figured she should be nice and spare him. "How long till we get to Junon?"

"Only another hour," he told her. "I must say I am anxious about what may happen."

"Yeah... but at least we'll be on solid ground again." Her stomach lurched suddenly as if to drive home the sentiment, and she nearly lost her lunch over the railing. With great effort, she forced her innards to stay there, and it took another little while before she was able to concentrate on anything else. She sagged against the railing, resting her chin on her arms.

Nanaki waited patiently, only then remarking, "I suppose you have the most reason to be glad of landing."

Yuffie closed her eyes again. "Whatever happens, I want a break from all this. First the chasing Sephiroth, then trying to get Aeris back, now flying around in this stupid ship... Ever since I signed on with this group, it's been crazy. I need a vacation."

"I think we all do. Perhaps, when the Planet is safe, we will get one."

"That'll be a while, won't it?" she said miserably.

"We have a time limit now," he said. "With Meteor coming..."

She looked down at him, surprised that she could actually hear the worry in his voice. He wasn't as stoic as Vincent, but being a cat-thing made him hard to figure out anyway. "Won't Aeris's summon stop it?" she asked.

He shook his head slightly. "With the White Materia shattered, will it even work? Is it strong enough to oppose Meteor? We can't rely on it."

"But... There's nothing _we_ can do about Meteor, is there?"

"I don't know."

Yuffie lay her head back on her arms, fixing her gaze on the ocean. "...do you think Cloud's okay?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I hope he is, but the odds are against him... Still, it would not be the first time he has survived against all odds. Perhaps luck is with him, and we will yet see him again."

She nodded, deciding to go with that. "When we find him, we'll have to knock some sense into him."

"He is certainly in need of that," Nanaki agreed wryly.

Yuffie kept on staring out at the ocean, eyes unfocused, really just hoping that steady line of the horizon would keep her anchored. It took her a while to notice that a distant something had appeared on the line.

"Hey," she said, straightening up, "I think I can see Junon."

"I suppose it won't be much longer," Nanaki said. "I will go tell the others."

"'Kay."

He padded back inside the airship, and Yuffie kept her eyes on the distant city, willing it closer. She couldn't wait to get off this stupid airship!

She heard the door open again and glanced back to see Rufus Shinra come out onto the deck, followed by Scarlet, Hojo, Rude, and an escort of Shinra troopers. She quickly turned back to the railing with a panicked, ridiculous hope that maybe if she couldn't see them, they couldn't see her. They were blocking her path back into the ship, where the others were, and the distance to Junon was rapidly shortening. If they decided to take her prisoner, there was no way she could stop them on her own.

The new bout of anxiety churned her stomach anew, and she gripped the railing, fighting it down as she struggled to concentrate on what they were talking about behind her.

"Something must be done about Reeve," Rufus was saying.

"What do you mean, sir?" Scarlet asked in that theatrical bimbo way she had of talking. "He's given us all kinds of useful information."

Rufus scoffed. "I've learned more from Reno's lot, and they didn't even follow Cloud very closely. Reeve has that Cait Sith toy in their midst and yet somehow he knows less."

"You think he's holding back then?"

"Of course."

"Why not speak with him now?"

"One cannot threaten a stuffed toy."

Rude spoke up, voice smooth and efficient. "I will return to Midgar and speak with him personally, sir."

"Excellent."

When next Yuffie looked up, the city loomed in her vision. She could clearly make out the empty airfield ahead where they meant to land. A quick glance told her the Shinra were still assembled behind her. Overhearing that bit about Cait Sith was _so_ not worth being put in this position. She didn't even know who Reeve was!

The final few minutes flew past, and the airship set down. The Shinra threw down a ladder, and the three Shinra executives went down immediately without so much as glancing at her.

Rude and his accompanying soldiers remained on the ship. The Turk turned to her. "You will come with us."

Yuffie shook her head, stepping back from the railing. She wondered if there was any chance she could take on a Turk by herself, never mind the entourage. Her chances were probably better for making it back to the others.

"Um... I'd rather not," she said, opting first to buy some time. Shouldn't Nanaki have been coming back? "And, hey, didn't you and Reno help me out that one time, back in Wutai? Why don't we just stick with that whole truce thing, and you can let me go, okay?"

Rude appeared unaffected by her powers of persuasion. Instead he snapped his fingers and the soldiers started towards her. She bolted for the door inside, but one of them caught her arm before her fingers could close on the handle. She whirled to punch him in the face, freeing herself only temporarily. The other two men had reached her, and together began dragging her kicking and screaming back towards Rude.

"Let me go, you jerks!" she screamed, struggling to break free. "Three against one is totally not fair!"

The door burst open, and Vincent and Nanaki came out onto the deck. "Yuffie!" Nanaki called, but Vincent just whipped out his gun and fired. In rapid succession, the men holding her screamed in pain and went down, taking her crashing with them to the deck floor. By the time she got to her feet, Nanaki had joined her, and they stood facing Rude with Vincent to back them up. Not her ideal rescue, but the three of them together could probably take the Turk!

Before any of them could make a move, the first of a platoon of Shinra soldiers reached the top of the ladder and hauled himself on deck. Aeris and Cait Sith came running out to join Vincent, and Yuffie and Nanaki backed up to stand with them.

"Where are the others?" Yuffie asked.

"Cid's busy, Barret's looking after Tifa," Aeris explained in a rush, her eyes on their growing number of enemies.

Yuffie was just thinking about throwing her shuriken to sever the rope ladder when the first group of soldiers sprang into action. The last traces of her nausea vanished with the fighting. There were so many of them! She couldn't manage to get at the ladder, and so more men kept coming to replace every one the Shinra lost. They didn't use their guns, so she could only guess Shinra wanted them all alive, but she wasn't sure how much that did for their odds of winning.

The first handful fell to Vincent's handgun and Yuffie's shuriken, but in the instant they took to reload and recover, the men had closed with them. Yuffie kept her shuriken in hand as she slashed at anyone who came near, and Vincent put that claw of his to use. She'd never seen him fight with it before, and it was kind of scary. Nanaki fought with tooth and claw, like he always did, but she felt they were all fighting like that, fierce and beast-like. Even Cait Sith's usually comical appearance had gained something serious, emphasized in the heavy thud of his arms connecting with soldiers, and sending them over the rail.

Aeris was the worst. Yuffie tried to keep an eye on her the most, worried about losing her again to the Shinra, but she was stunned to realize that Aeris was doing fine. All she had was that knife, and yet she used it like Nanaki used his claws. There was a fire in the Cetra that just hadn't been there before, and Yuffie found herself glancing over less and less, unnerved by the change.

No matter how well any of them fought, though, some men managed to get through. A band of SOLDIERs broke through into the ship, and Rude went with them. At first this confused her, but then she realized that Cid, Barret, and Tifa were still inside, and they'd want them captured, too. Especially Barret, as the former leader of Avalanche.

Rude and his men burst back out not long after, and in the instant Yuffie looked back to see if they'd succeeded, a soldier slammed his nightstick into her midsection. The force of the blow doubled her over, and she dropped her shuriken. The man managed to heft her up over one shoulder before she recovered enough to attack, kneeing him sharply in the gut and shoving back to put him off balance. She dropped back to her feet, and they both staggered. Yuffie regained her balance a second faster and landed a blow to his head that sent him sprawling. He didn't get up.

She snatched up her shuriken, back on the defensive, but as she looked around she saw that the soldiers were pulling back. Vincent fired into their retreating forms until the last was gone from the deck, one way or another. Cait Sith sat nearby, but the others were nowhere to be seen.

Yuffie let herself collapse on the deck. "They took Aeris and Red?" she said in disbelief.

"Barret and Tifa as well," Vincent added, holstering his gun. His eyes were glowing more than usual, she noticed. The stronger the glow, the closer he was to transforming. Yuffie realized that might have been the only reason Shinra had retreated and left them the Highwind. Vincent could be pretty damn scary.

"When did that happen?" she asked.

"While that guy was trying to carry you off," Cait Sith told her.

"Oh."

"At least we have the ship now," he went on. "And the crew to boot. Never thought Cid could have a way with people."

"Is that why we're taking off again?" she asked miserably.

"Well, we can't stay here, can we?"

Yuffie got back on her feet. "What about the others? We can't just leave them!"

"We are in no condition to rescue them," Vincent said coolly. "If we were unable to defeat Shinra's troops with their help, it is unlikely we will be more successful without them. We cannot simply walk into Junon and take them back."

"Vince's right," Cait agreed. "We'll need a plan. And some rest."

She swallowed her protests with effort, knowing they were right. "Rest sounds good," she conceded finally. "Where're we going now?"

"I dunno. I'll go ask Cid."

Yuffie watched Cait bounce back inside, then turned to Vincent. "It's just down to us four, huh?" she said.

He looked at her, and shrugged.

"This's the part where you pretend you can be optimistic and tell me we'll do fine, and we'll get everybody back together again and save the Planet and live happily ever after."

That earned her nothing more than a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you better tell me _something_," she said, growing annoyed with his silence, "'cause if there's only four of us, you can't just go standing around like part of the background, and I fully expect you to do your quarter share of the talking."

"I never did my ninth, before."

He said it so plainly, she couldn't figure out if he was seriously just stating a fact or trying to be funny. After squinting at him for a minute, Yuffie threw up her hands. "Fine, you go on being all... annoying and vampire-y, see if I care."

Vincent stood there as though waiting to see if she had anything more to say, then finally turned to go.

"Hey!" she called, about to go with when her nausea returned with a vengeance and she doubled over. Looking up at him, she waved a hand. "Okay... You go on... Just make sure somebody tells me where we're-ulp-going."

"All right," he agreed, and then disappeared inside.

She managed to get her nausea under control and sighed. Down to four, and she didn't even really _like_ any of them! Vincent was a freak, Cid always yelled at her, and Cait Sith was beyond ridiculous, not to mention working for Shinra.

"We are so screwed," Yuffie said aloud.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The first couple paragraphs should sound familiar, as they mimic when Aeris summoned Holy in the very beginning.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Shinra did a crap job of training its pilots, Cid had decided. The airship's crew, while earnest and intelligent, were far too inexperienced to be flying. He had to keep a sharp eye on them to make sure they didn't screw something up, all the while wondering how the hell they had managed without them. They were damn lucky he had been around when they'd had to hightail it out of the crater.

Vincent and Cait Sith had long since left the bridge. He guessed that his shouting profanities as his crew was a little too much for their delicate sensitivities, but he didn't give a shit. They couldn't do anything but get in the way.

Fort Condor, their destination, was coming into view. He took over the wheel, not trusting the fledgling pilot to land the Highwind properly, even if the kid had done it before.

He found the other three out on deck, Yuffie still looking green. He didn't understand how she could get sick while _flying_, and the only reason they were getting off the Highwind was so she could get her bony ass on solid ground. Normally Cid wouldn't have bothered, but, as Vincent had pointed out, there were only four of them left, and the kid had a brain in there somewhere. Anyway it couldn't hurt to hole up with people actually on their side for a while.

"All right, you numskulls, let's go scare the locals." He threw down the ladder and started down first, wondering only then that he'd somehow become the leader. Captain of a crew was fine, he thought, but leader of this bunch of wanna-be heroes and freaks was the last job he would have asked for.

But until they got the others back, it looked like he was stuck with it.

The others followed him down, and they headed for the entrance to the fort. Yuffie began whistling, and when they reached the guard stationed out front, she called out a cheerful "Hello!"

The man looked past Cid, nodding as though at a pleasant surprise. "Oh, hello, Miss Yuffie."

Cid shot her a look. "You never said you'd been here before."

"You never asked," she told him pleasantly.

"Where are Cloud and the others you were with?" the guard asked, looking over the rest of the small group.

"I dunno," Yuffie said, "but we need a place to crash for a while. D'you mind?"

"Not really. Only, would you mind introducing your new friends?"

"This is Cid Highwind, and that's Vincent Valentine, and the cat is Cait Sith. They all used to work for Shinra, but now they don't."

"I see." The guard paused, mulled over her complete lack of explanation for a moment, and then stepped aside. "Well, go on in. Tarin will fix you up with a room and a meal."

"Thanks," Yuffie said, and practically skipped on inside the fort.

_On second thought_, Cid reflected with a scowl, _maybe I should just let the brat lead. She seems to be doing a good enough job._

Some middle-aged man with an odd-looking hat, presumably Tarin, went off to fix them a late lunch almost as soon as he saw Yuffie. He returned about fifteen minutes later, and soon they were sitting around a small table, Cid and Yuffie tearing apart whatever he'd brought like starved animals. Even Vincent ate something.

Once they'd stuffed their faces enough to slow down and talk in between, Cid sat back. "So," he said, "what're we gonna do about Aeris and the others?"

"Damned if I know," Yuffie muttered.

"Taking them back by force is obviously out of the question," Vincent said as though she hadn't said anything, which was fine by Cid. "We will need to get in and out unnoticed."

"Well, you just ruled out half of us for this mission," Cid observed. "No way're you and Cait gonna be able to disguise yourselves."

"I can when I need to."

"I'm good at sneaking around, too," Yuffie put in.

"What's your contribution, cat?" Cid asked, turning to the member of the group who really brought their freak show to new levels.

"I'm your information man. Floor plans, access codes, whatever you need."

"And we just trust you it's all good?"

"It's good, I promise."

Cid was unconvinced, and it was probably only partly because he was talking to a stuffed cat. "We don't even know who you are."

"I know who he is!" Yuffie exclaimed suddenly, and the cat looked at her in alarm. "And y'know, I think maybe he's okay," she went on. "Rufus isn't real thrilled with him, so I think we've kinda won him over to our side."

"Well, who is he?"

She looked to Cait. "You gonna tell 'em, or should I?"

The cat slumped on his moogle and gave a little sigh. "My name is Reeve," he said, the tone of his voice changing. "I'm head of the Urban Development Department, though that's been little more than a joke since the late President had Sector 7 destroyed. Rufus assigned me to spy on you all. I never wanted to do it, if that counts for anything."

"You're higher up than I thought," Cid observed with an appreciative whistle. "Still don't trust you though."

"I thought we were past all this," Cait said.

The pilot snorted. "Sure, you've helped us out, but like hell if I'm gonna leave somethin' this fuckin' important in the hands of some Shinra spy."

Before Cait Sith could reply, Vincent interjected, his voice as level as always. "None among us is without cause for mistrust. I am a former Turk, Yuffie has in the past been less than loyal, and you yourself once worked for Shinra. I suggest you lower your standards."

Once Cid got over Vincent saying more than three words at once, he gave the point a little serious thought. Okay, so he'd had his connections with Shinra even as recently as the past two weeks, waiting to hear on that damn space program. And from those years of association, he knew better than the next guy that not _everyone_ working for Shinra was a complete asshole. He trusted his crew, and they'd left the company only a day earlier. Cait Sith had been with the group longer than he had, and he hadn't bailed out even after being discovered.

Cid ran a hand through his hair. "Shit," he announced. "I guess we'll just have to give this a shot."

"Thank you," Cait said, bowing gratefully over his moogle.

"Just cut to the chase, cat. What can you tell us about Junon base?"

"It's not going to be easy. The holding cells where Aeris and the others should be is on the second floor of the base, off the main control room-so it'll be tough getting everyone out through there. No chance for a quick getaway either; the airfield's on the other side of the compound."

"Aren't you supposed to have ideas on how to get around this shit?" Cid demanded. If he was their information man, he damn well better have something useful to offer.

"I'm trying to think, but it'd be a lot easier if Shinra had a distraction."

"I don't think there're gonna be any parades this time around," Yuffie said dubiously.

Cait Sith shook his head. "No. But why don't you two get some rest while Vincent and I talk it over? You both must be pretty tired."

Cid let out a sigh and decided that was probably best. He wasn't good at this planning stuff anyway, and he trusted Vincent at least to think outside the box even if he'd spent most of his fucked up life inside one. He stood, scraping back his chair, and nodded to Yuffie. "Lead the way, brat. I can't wait to get back on a fucking normal sleeping pattern."

"I think that goes for all of us," she replied as she took the lead for wherever they were crashing for the night. "This saving-the-Planet shit is really tiring."

"Didn't Tifa tell you to watch yer fucking language?"

"No, she told me to watch my language."

"Oh, shut up, brat."

* * *

Nanaki woke with a sharp headache from the blow which had knocked him out. Flat grey walls surrounded him, white light from above catching their metallic sheen. A single cot marred the sterility of the room, its occupant still unconscious. The door leading out, he knew, was operated by an access panel on the outside. From inside the cell, a red light above it assured him they were locked in.

He recognized the place immediately. They were in a holding cell on the 67th floor of the Shinra building in Midgar, scant minutes from Hojo's main laboratory. He required no explanation for their being here rather than still in Junon; he was only surprised at the speed of their transfer.

He looked back to Aeris, lying on the cot, and slowly picked himself up, crossed the short distance to her side, and sat back on his haunches to wait.

It was not long before she woke, giving a start before she recognized the cell as swiftly as he had, and lay back. She glanced over at him, unsurprised by his presence. "We're back here again," she said.

"So it seems."

"At least we're friends this time. We can keep each other company, instead of scaring each other half to death."

He nudged her shoulder with his nose. "I am sorry about that, really."

"You apologized then, and I don't hold it against you." She offered him a tired smile, and then turned her gaze to the ceiling. "Do you think they'll come rescue us again?"

"As soon as they're able."

"Only, it'll be a different group of rescuers," she said, any trace of the smile fading. "Cloud's missing, and they took Barret and Tifa."

"Them, too?" Nanaki asked, his own spirits sinking. That put half of them in Shinra's hands; were the ones who'd escaped really in any position to come after them?

"You were out when that happened, weren't you? But, probably they're still in Junon." Aeris sat up and slid her legs over the edge of the cot. "I hope they get rescued first. Shinra may want them dead..." He could see the shadow of worry cross her face, and then she shook her head. "We... may have to deal with Professor Hojo, but at least he'll keep us alive."

It really was a grim situation, he reflected. "Perhaps we should try to escape on our own first," he suggested, preferring to avoid any dealings with Hojo if he could.

"How?" she asked. "There's no way to open these doors from the inside."

Nanaki sighed. "I suppose we weren't able to escape on our own last time either."

Aeris's voice grew quiet. "Sephiroth won't be coming to get us out of here this time. He's summoning Meteor, or maybe he's summoned it already."

"You cannot tell?"

She shook her head. "Not here. I can't hear a damned thing in Midgar, and I couldn't hear anything on the airship either."

He thought this was probably the first time he had ever heard Aeris curse, and he watched her carefully as she went on.

"He must be using an incredible amount of energy. If I were on the ground, even here, I'm sure I could feel it, but I get... nothing. For the Planet's sake, I wish I could talk to it." Her voice held a strain of frustration now. Not worry over being in Hojo's custody, but anxiety over not knowing what was happening and being unable to do anything about it.

"Does the Planet get frightened?" he wondered.

Aeris looked at him in surprise, as though he had asked a silly question, but then understanding crossed her face. "Yes, it gets frightened. At times it's very... human, if that's even the word for it. Like a child who's lived a very long time."

"Do you think there are other planets like ours, Aeris?" he asked, at the same time thinking that this was not the time to pursue such idle curiosities. He should have been asking after what troubled her and trying to ease her worries.

"I'm sure there are," she said. "Just none nearby that I or the Planet can hear. Maybe, when it's older, it can call out to them. I'm sure it'll be glad for the company."

Then again, he realized, if he asked the things of her he really wished to know, she probably wouldn't answer any more than she had already. She had always kept her worries to herself, even making the decision to leave them entirely on her own. No, she would only confide in them when she'd decided of her own accord, and until then they could only be patient. In the mean time, she seemed more comfortable with his idle curiosity. If pretending that nothing about her had changed might aid her recovery, he would play along.

"And do you think," he went on, "that those other planets have beings like us?"

"They must. Jenova came from one, after all."

"Hopefully we'll see no more of her kind."

Aeris nodded. "Hopefully." She paused before saying more. "I wonder sometimes, what _her_ motives are. Sephiroth wouldn't even tell me his, much less say a word about hers."

"What do you mean?" Nanaki wondered, tilting his head. "He believes he has been wronged and wants revenge, doesn't he?"

She looked at him, and he felt that however close they were, in this instant they were as far apart as strangers. "Do you really believe that?"

The door slid open before he could reply. A pair of Shinra soldiers stood in the doorway, ready guns forbidding any thought of escape. "The Professor wants to see you," one said to Aeris.

The Cetra hadn't even turned her head to look at them, but Nanaki could tell by the way her body tensed that she knew they meant her. "All right," she said, and got to her feet. She walked to the doorway and let them escort her out without a backward glance.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

All right, changes... Dialogue in the first scene was altered to include some distrust of Cait, and Vincent's amazing three sentences. This is also a section where I wound up cutting a lot of scenes, and though I didn't delete any that were in this chapter, I did shift things around a little so they wind up being in the next chapter instead.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Guys! Hey, guys! Guess what I just heard!"

From where she lay, Yuffie could care less about whatever Cait Sith had heard, and she expressed the sentiment by hurling her pillow at the damn cat. She succeeded in knocking him off his moogle, but he only shut up for as long as it took to climb back up.

Then Cid woke, adding a stream of curses to the cat's excited yelling, and with a groan Yuffie gave up on getting back to sleep. She hauled herself up to a sitting position and glared at Cait Sith just as Cid finally recalled the situation and fell into a grudging silence.

"This'd better be good," Yuffie warned, wondering what time it was. Just when a few days' good rest had got her actually _expecting_ to sleep through the night uninterrupted, the cat had to come and ruin it.

Undeterred by the two grumpy figures, Cait grinned broadly, his moogle dancing from side to side. "It looks like the Junon base is having some trouble with monsters," he announced.

"Monsters," Yuffie repeated flatly, raising an eyebrow. He expected them to believe _that_?

"I'm serious!" he exclaimed, waving his paws. "You probably didn't notice 'cause you were puking at the time, but when we left the Northern Crater, some monsters flew out at the same time. Hojo says they're called 'Weapons.'"

Yuffie sobered a little at that. It sounded familiar, like something she should have known out of myth.

"So what's the deal?" Cid asked.

"I'm not sure what it's after, but one of the Weapons is attacking Junon right now. They're having a lot of trouble fighting it."

"Well, that'd be a great distraction," Yuffie said, "but we're a little far away. We leave now and we might get there in time to watch them kill the thing."

The cat looked at her in brief vexation at her lack of enthusiasm. "No, no, no, it's not going to be over that easy. This Weapon is a lot tougher than anything Shinra's dealt with before, and it isn't just going to give up. This fight'll last longer than just a few hours."

Yuffie considered this and then threw her blanket aside. "Then I guess we've gotta leave now before the whole base blows up and everybody dies."

"That's the idea, kid," Cid replied as though he'd known everything all along. He stretched. "Let's get goin'."

She shot him a glare as he made his way past her to the ladder out. She followed, grumbling. "Back to losing all my beauty sleep. I better get a _long_ vacation after all this is over."

Cait seemed about to say something, but she poked an accusing finger at him.

"Stuff it," she said, and he shut his mouth.

Somewhat mollified, she headed after Cid.

Her mood plummeted when they climbed back aboard the Highwind. In contrast, Cid seemed wide awake and thrilled to be back in the air.

"Don't see what you've got to complain about," he said, hearing her muttering to herself. "At least you can sleep. I've gotta run this ship."

"Sleep?" she asked incredulously. "Are you kidding? Your flying makes me so sick I can barely breathe."

Yuffie could've sworn he flew the ship even more unsteadily just to get back at her for the insult. She couldn't think for the whole flight to Junon, and when Cid set the ship down outside the city, Yuffie clambered down the ladder without waiting for the others to get out on deck. She could have kissed the ground except that, well, that would be gross.

The others joined her after a few minutes, first Vincent, then Cait Sith, and finally Cid. Vincent was already dressed in one of the Shinra uniforms they'd found in the Highwind's storage compartments, and he handed her another without explanation. His left sleeve was still rolled up past the elbow joint of his claw, and she wondered how he meant to hide it.

"Is Weapon still attacking?" Yuffie asked, squinting towards the city still a few miles off.

Cait shook his head. "It left about an hour ago, but I don't doubt it'll be back."

"And that's when you and Vince sneak into the base," Cid added.

"You're not coming with?" she asked. In her current mood, it seemed too good to be true, but she didn't see _him_ carrying any uniform.

"Nah," he said. "You want me to charge in, guns blazing, and I'll do it, but I can't sneak around worth shit. That part's better left to Turks and thieves."

"Former," Vincent corrected.

"I gave it back!" Yuffie protested simultaneously.

Cid looked from one to the other and shook his head. "Whatever. Just get goin'."

"What're we supposed to do once we're in?"

"Just stick close to Vincent," Cait Sith told her. "He knows what he's doing."

"Fine," Yuffie said, sighing. If they didn't want to fill her in on the mission they were sending her on, well, fine by her. She'd just wing it. "Off we go, eh, Vinny?"

He glanced at her before he turned towards Junon, and she got the impression that he didn't like the nickname very much. She started after him, briefly annoyed with his pace. It wasn't fair that everyone was taller than her.

"So I guess you must've done this a lot in Wutai," she remarked as they drew closer, a little curious but mostly because Vincent was creepier when silent.

"No," he replied without looking at her. "The war was after my time."

She glanced up at him. "So what'd Turks do back then?"

"Help start it."

Yuffie frowned at that and looked away, fingers clenching in the uniform she held.

"It is perfectly understandable for you to hate me," Vincent stated as dispassionately as ever. "My actions did contribute to the fall of your homeland."

"...I don't hate you, Vincent. I don't _like_ you very much, but that's 'cause you're a weirdo. Anyway you're against Shinra now and you're always on about punishing yourself for stuff you didn't do. I've got no right and no reason to hate you." That may have been the most philosophical thing she'd ever said. Being with this bunch sure made her think a lot, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

"Perhaps, Yuffie, working with you will not be as difficult as I had thought," the ex-Turk said quietly.

The ninja offered him a grin as they entered lower Junon.

* * *

Aeris sat up carefully, regaining her bearings after coming out of the anesthesia. This was the second time Hojo had put her under. Nanaki had been taken into the lab several times but spoken only of cursory examinations. It had been that way with her, too, at first, and even now, the actual process was beyond her and all she felt was the lingering effect of the drugs.

But the last time she'd woken, Hojo had looked so _pleased_ with her examination that a knot had formed in her stomach, twisting tighter and tighter the longer she thought about why. She had never considered it before, always shoving the thought away before it could surface and become real. But now she could think of nothing else Hojo could have discovered that would evoke that awful grin. She couldn't help but wonder, now, after all this, if she was pregnant.

Carrying Sephiroth's child... The idea was revolting.

She didn't know what he was doing with her now, but she felt sure she would have objected violently had she known, and as she looked around the lab, she felt as though she was missing something. She checked herself over, but she still had all her borrowed clothing, and her only real possessions, the fragments of the White Materia.

"I heard that Sephiroth kidnapped you," Hojo remarked to her. His back was turned to her as he put away some equipment. "I was curious as to why, you know."

Aeris said nothing. He could draw his own conclusions.

"But I suppose he must have known you were an Ancient, too," the scientist continued. "So perhaps he thought it appropriate that you join him."

"Sephiroth is not an Ancient," she stated flatly. "Even you know that."

Hojo turned around and smiled coldly at her. "Indeed. I want to ask you something then: did you realize that before or after you gave yourself to him?"

"I did no such thing." _If he knows, then..._ She clasped her hands together tightly and tried to keep her face blank.

"Oh really?" He raised one eyebrow, skeptical. "He took you by force then?"

She did not answer, but simply looked at him levelly. She hated and feared this man. She wanted to bolt. But she sat there on the cold examining table and met his gaze.

"Hmm," he said at length, folding his bony hands behind his back. "I'm a bit surprised. I hadn't thought he would resort to rape."

"If _you_ raised him, I wouldn't be at all surprised," Aeris replied scornfully.

"He told you that?"

"Yes," she lied, and waited to see if he would confirm it.

The scientist only nodded slightly, but somehow she felt she'd guessed right. "I see," he said.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Finally, Aeris decided she had to ask, even though he might not answer.

"Am I pregnant, Professor Hojo?"

At that, he grinned. "If you're worried about bearing his child, you needn't be. I'd rather let some expendable woman carry it."

She stared at him. Did that mean, he had taken it from her womb? Then she was free of it, she would not have to have Sephiroth's child, but... She wouldn't wish for anyone to be brought up by this monster. She'd rather carry the child herself than know it was in Hojo's care.

The Professor pushed a button to call for the guards to escort her back to her cell. He turned back to her, still grinning. "If you see Sephiroth again, thank him for me, hmm?"

"I will," she replied, sliding off the table. "Only because it will make his blood boil to know he's pleased you."

Right now, she felt the same. If she'd had the strength, if the guards weren't to arrive in moments, she might have strangled the man.

* * *

Lower Junon was no less ugly now than it had been the last time Yuffie had passed through it. The smell of pollution and dead things and salt hung thick in the air, and the drab buildings slouched under the overhanging cliff face as though trying to disappear into it. Half-broken fences surrounded a few neglected yards. Everything was grey and dark, like how she imagined the Midgar slums to be, though she had never been there. After all, just like in Midgar, the upper city blocked out the light of the sun.

"Is there an inn?" Vincent asked softly, surveying the town fast on its way to becoming a slum.

Even North Corel had boasted a crumbling building pretending to be an inn, but when she thought about it, Yuffie realized this place didn't even have that. "No," she said. "I guess we'll have to find someplace else to crash."

He said nothing, as though waiting on her to offer a solution.

"Well, there is this little girl who wants to marry Cloud, but I'm not sure she'd remember me."

That evoked a raised eyebrow.

"She almost drowned, but Cloud saved her 'cause he knew CPR," she explained. "I don't think he appreciates having an admirer." Bringing up Cloud like this made her remember how doubtful it was the guy was even still alive, but she kept her voice light and stubbornly used the present tense. When they found him, she was going to kick him in the nads for making them all worry like this.

"I see," Vincent said, showing no signs of going through the same thought process. Of course _Vincent_ wouldn't worry. "Could she provide us with a place to stay?"

"I hope so." She looked him over. "She likes Shinra about as much as I do though, so maybe you should hang back until I can explain the whole thing. And try to look less creepy when you come up."

He looked back at her steadily, as if to say that was impossible, but gave a nod.

Priscilla answered the door in her nightgown a full five minutes after Yuffie first knocked. She yawned, peered up at the ninja, and asked, "Who're you?"

"Yuffie Kisaragi," she said, sure the name would have no significance with the eight-year-old. "I was with Cloud, you remember me?"

The girl's eyes brightened at this. "Cloud?" She leaned forward, peering more closely in the darkness. "Oh! Yeah, I remember you! Where's Cloud? An' what're you doing here so _early_?"

"Cloud's sent me on a very important mission," Yuffie explained. It was close enough to the truth that she didn't even feel like she was lying. "Some of our friends are being held at Junon base, so I've gotta sneak in and get 'em out."

Priscilla nodded gravely. "I see. You want me to help again?"

"Yeah, I just need a place to crash until the timing's right. Me and my, uh, friend."

"Your friend?" The girl leaned looked past Yuffie. "I don't see anyone."

The ninja crouched down and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Between you and me, he's a good guy, but he's really creepy-looking. I wanted to make sure you were ready for him."

Priscilla drew herself up. "He won't scare me anymore than that big talking dog."

Yuffie had never thought of Nanaki as particularly frightening, but she nodded. "Good." She went to the railing of the house's raised porch and called down, "You can come on up, Vinny."

Vincent seemed to materialize out of the darkness at the top of the stairs, and Yuffie prided herself on not jumping. Priscilla drew back into her open doorway, staring silently. But once Yuffie introduced them and Vincent offered a polite greeting, the girl seemed fine with him.

They went on inside, Priscilla babbling at them to tell her about Cloud until Yuffie promised to do it when they got up in the morning. She led them to a bedroom in the back with a large-ish bed, obviously meant for two, which looked like it hadn't been used in a while. Yuffie realized that the girl must have been an orphan; the little community of lower Junon was just tight-knit enough to let her live alone safely enough. That was where the resemblance to everything she'd heard about Midgar ended.

Priscilla yawned again and disappeared back into her own room, leaving Yuffie alone with Vincent.

She fidgeted.

Vincent gestured to the bed. "Go ahead. I am fine without resting."

Gratefully, she plopped down onto the bed. "I wish I could be like that-not need much sleep."

"I assure you it is one of the few benefits of my... condition."

She glanced up at him as she untied her sneakers. "I don't know about that." Kicking off her shoes, she lay back, testing the mattress. "You've got the PHS, right? Wake me if Cait says Weapon's attacking again."

* * *

Cloud was always walking away from her. No matter how fast she ran or how loudly she shouted, she could never catch up to him, and he never turned around. Maybe she was calling the wrong name. Maybe, the Cloud she wanted no longer existed.

"Tifa."

There were too many maybes and ifs. Whatever name he had, she wanted him to turn and look at her, so she could be sure. If she could just see him one more time, she could understand everything.

"Hey, Tifa. Can you hear me?"

The light blinded her when she opened her eyes, and she lifted an arm to shade her face. "...Barret?"

Through her obscured view, she could still make out the relief on his face. "You're awake."

Slowly, she sat up, looking around in confusion as her eyes adjusted. She didn't recognize where she was, but the metallic walls, the too-bright lights, and the red light over the single door all made her think Shinra.

"Where... is this?" she asked, already having some idea of the answer.

"Junon military base," Barret said, confirming her fears. "The Shinra're holdin' us prisoner."

"The others, too?" she asked. This room looked to have once served some other purpose than a cell, and was spacious compared to the prison block at Shinra headquarters. Still, they were alone in the room. "Is everyone all right?"

Barret shook his head. "I dunno if they took th' others or not, but they were awright last I saw 'em."

She didn't ask about Cloud. She didn't want to know if he was... No, she wouldn't even think about it.

She ran a hand through her hair, wincing as she snagged a tangle. "Can you tell me what happened? How did we get out of the Northern Crater?"

"Le's see... I wasn't there when you fainted. Vincent carried you outta there; said you collapsed after Cloud, uh..."

"It's all right. Go on."

"...after Cloud gave Sephiroth the Black Materia," he finished cautiously. After a wary pause, he continued. "Rufus had everybody get on the Highwind-"

"The Highwind?"

"Shinra's airship. Named after Cid," he added with a snort which communicated volumes about how much Cid had been bragging about the airship.

"Oh," she said.

"It was hell gettin' outta that place. Whole crater exploded, and some big ass monsters flew out. The Shinra're callin' 'em Weapons, an' one of 'em came an' attacked the base last night." Barret shook his head. "That bastard Rufus is actually doin' a pretty good job fightin' it."

"So... what happened after we left the crater?" Tifa prompted quietly, frowning in worry. She remembered hearing something about these Weapons, and their appearance felt ominous.

Barret shrugged. "Damn Shinra attacked us once we got here. Things were pretty crazy, I dunno how many of us got caught. Mebbe everybody's here, mebbe just us."

"Nn."

"Hey, Tifa... Um..."

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up.

"Why... aren't you askin' 'bout Cloud?"

She twisted her hands in her lap and glanced past him. "I don't want to think about it."

"Aeris said that's why you wouldn't wake up."

"Aeris said that?"

Barret nodded.

"I... guess it's a pretty weak thing to do, isn't it?" she murmured. "But, if he's dead..." Her voice cracked. "If he's dead..."

"Tifa." She felt his huge hand on her shoulder, but not the reassurance meant to come with the gesture. "Cloud's a strong guy. He ain't gonna die so easy."

She wanted to believe that. She took a deep, shuddering breath, held it, and shakily let it out. "...I just don't want to talk about it, all right, Barret?"

"Awright."

Tifa struggled to think of something else to say, not wanting to be left alone with her thoughts. Nothing came. She stretched her feet to the floor and sat still a moment, not sure whether or not her legs would support her when she felt so weak inside. Carefully, she stood and walked to the blinds covering the windows on the far wall. The steadiness of her step surprised her.

Seeing her searching for a cord to pull them open, Barret pressed a button, and the blinds lifted, revealing the ocean view for which Junon was known. From here, you couldn't tell the water was polluted. She lifted her gaze to the sky.

"...is that it?"

"Yeah."

Meteor, still smaller than the moon, hung in the sky like a red stain.

"How long do you think we have?" she asked.

"Dunno," he said. "Been five days already, but we still gotta have some time. We'll ask Aeris when we see her."

"You're pretty confident," Tifa said, glancing sideways at him.

"I gotta be," Barret replied with a firm nod. "We gotta make it outta here somehow, for the Planet's sake, for Marlene's sake. So, somehow we will. And that thing Aeris summoned... That's not nothin' either, right?"

She shook her head slowly. "I don't know... What if it doesn't work? What if Meteor is stronger? What if _Sephiroth_ is stronger? What if we can't kill him? What if..." She bit her lip.

"We been in bad spots before, 'member? Way back in Midgar, after the Number 5 reactor-we all thought Cloud was gone, but it didn't stop you, an' he wasn't. An' in the Shinra building, we were pretty hopeless just like now, but we got outta there, too."

"But there's always someone to save us. Who's going to show up this time? Cloud's missing, probably... probably..." She stopped herself. "He won't be coming. And we don't know if any of us are even still out there."

"Tifa... You can't just give up. Listen: I dunno how we're gonna get outta this. I never know. But we _will_. We're gonna get a chance, somehow. We been lucky so far, yeah, but maybe we'll be lucky still. We're the ones that gotta save the Planet, so we gotta make it through."

She stared out at the sky and Meteor's red stain. "What if this is it? What if our luck's run out? What if Cloud's luck has run out...? What if he's..." She sank to her knees, unable to keep the thought from her mind any longer.

_What if he's dead?_

"Tifa! Hey, c'mon, girl, don't give up-!"

But she was already slipping, losing consciousness, returning to that oblivion where she wouldn't have to know. If she never woke, she would never have to live in a world without him.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The scene with Aeris was spliced together from two scenes in the original draft, since the first was mostly introspection and included some unnecessary dialogue with Nanaki. And although my timeline in the original draft was very exactly plotted out, I decided to extend the period where everyone was separated by a few days, since it just made more sense to me, considering. There was also a dream sequence from Sephiroth's POV that got deleted entirely because... well, I used to like dream sequences but in retrospect it was melodramatic and just bad. Overall, I think the Tifa scene is the only one in this chapter that survived more or less unscathed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The elevator up from lower Junon was just a simple platform with faded striped tape around its edges and the painted word 'caution,' just in case you didn't realize that you could fall if you stepped over the edge. The shaft was dark, lit only by a narrow beam at the platform's edge. All in all, it was pretty bare bones. The Shinra certainly weren't expecting anyone of importance like Yuffie Kisaragi to come up through here.

The call from Cait Sith had come mid-morning, as Yuffie tried to eat breakfast and answer Priscilla's incessant questions about Cloud at the same time. She'd jumped at the chance to go, though not so much at donning her disguise. Now she and Vincent stood side-by-side in matching Shinra uniforms, their height difference still making them cut an odd pair. Vincent had removed enough of the casing on his claw to pull the sleeve down and hide his hands in gloves, and Yuffie kept glancing at his arm, wondering if it still worked okay like that.

They reached the upper level, and the doors opened onto panic. Red lights flashed, and a voice over the intercom called frantically for all hands to report to the canons to fight Weapon, interrupted only by details of Weapon's current position. It set her on edge, and she found herself reaching for the familiar grip of her shuriken, which she'd had to leave behind.

Yuffie soon realized, however, that the halls here were empty. The elevator came up near the barracks, and the hall to their left led to the streets of Junon. All, or at least most, of the soldiers had already gone to the harbor. A few doors and lockers had been left open, and some civilian clothes lay on the floor, cast off by off-duty troopers in a hurry to report to their stations. It left little doubt that this Weapon really was a serious threat to Junon.

From one of the open arms lockers, Vincent retrieved a pair of rifles, the kind most Shinra troops carried, and handed one to her. Their disguises were now complete. "Know how to use it?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she answered, though she had never held one before.

He seemed to infer that somehow and sighed. He took a few minutes to show her how it worked, to their mutual annoyance, but she guessed it was necessary. If she didn't have a clue, someone might notice.

"All right," he said finally, deciding that they were ready. "Let's go."

Vincent, although he hadn't been with them when they'd passed through Junon before, seemed to know his way around. He led the way down the hall, gun resting against his shoulder, and Yuffie kept pace at his side, mimicking him. A thought occurred to her then.

"Hey, Vinny-did upper Junon even _exist_ thirty years ago?"

"No."

"Then how come you know your way around so well?"

"Cait Sith went over its layout with me."

"Oh." Yuffie pondered this for a moment. "You must have a really good memory," she concluded.

After several turns, they started seeing more people in the halls, and open rooms with technicians working frantically to 'reroute power' to the base's different defenses. No one they passed spared them more than a glance, and they came to what seemed to be a main junction without incident. The way ahead led onward to the airfield, and the door to their left was marked 'Press Room.' To their right, a set of stairs led up.

"Are you ready?" Vincent asked her quietly.

"For what?" She thought they had gotten themselves ready earlier, and wasn't sure what they had paused here for.

He gave a slight shake of his head as though he wasn't sure either. "The main control room is up these stairs. Rufus will likely be there with Scarlet and Heidegger."

"And we have to pass through there to get to the prison block...?"

Vincent nodded.

Yuffie took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay. I'm ready."

If Rufus and the others were as distracted as their subordinates, maybe they wouldn't even notice two soldiers sneaking by with their prisoners.

They went up the stairs, past a few stationed soldiers, and into a huge room of computers lit by the daylight pouring in from the window stretching across the entire far wall. Rufus stood before it overlooking the ocean and the fight that must have been raging there between Weapon and his men. Sure enough, Scarlet and Heidegger stood behind him, silent for once while the emergency lights went on flashing and the intercom continued its hurried reports.

Yuffie swallowed her curiosity about this Weapon thing and followed Vincent into a side room on the right. They entered unnoticed to find a hall lined with doors, all with the red indicator light above them.

A single guard was posted just inside, but he only gave them a once over and said nothing. Yuffie had no idea which of these cells her friends were in, and unless by some miracle Vincent _did_, then they were going to look suspicious fast. She hung back a little as Vincent strode slowly down the hall. He seemed to be listening for something, though she didn't know what he could possibly hear above the incessant chatter of the intercom. Maybe it was one of those weird Vincent things.

He stopped in front of a door, stood still for a moment, and then carefully punched a code on the keypad-with his flesh hand, she noticed. The door slid open. Vincent walked on inside, and Yuffie picked up her pace to join him.

It was definitely the right door, although it was pretty large for a cell. Maybe, Yuffie considered, this hadn't always been a prison block. Barret stood near the windows, and he turned towards them warily. Slowly, he began backing up towards Tifa, who lay motionless on one of the two beds in the room, as though to defend her.

Vincent pressed a button to shut the door behind them. He then pulled off his mask, and Yuffie eagerly did the same. Before Barret could make any loud outbursts, the ex-Turk held a finger to his lips.

"We have to go, now," Vincent said quietly. "We will escort you, as guards escorting prisoners."

"Awright."

"Is Tifa still out?" Yuffie asked.

Barret nodded, frowning. "Yeah. She woke up earlier, but she couldn't handle it, not knowin' 'bout Cloud."

"I will carry her then," Vincent stated, starting towards her bed.

Barret blinked and seemed about to protest, but just shook his head. "What about the others? Are they here?"

"No." It was Vincent who answered. "Aeris and Nanaki were taken as well, but Shinra isn't holding them here."

"How do you know?" Yuffie had to ask. She was beginning to believe he just magically knew everything.

The ex-Turk glanced at her. "I can neither hear them, nor smell them."

Definitely one of those weird Vincent things. His reluctance to answer made her kind of sorry she'd asked, but she didn't apologize. Instead she just nodded and tried to act like he'd offered a perfectly normal explanation.

He put his mask back on, lifted Tifa up over one shoulder, and nodded to her. Yuffie put her mask on, too, and waited for Vincent to take the lead. He went to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the hall without the slightest hesitation. Yuffie motioned Barret to go next and brought up the rear of the little procession, aiming her gun at Barret and hoping she looked like she was serious about shooting.

The guard at the end of the hall straightened as they approached. "What are you doing?"

"Transferring the prisoners to a more secure location," Vincent answered brusquely. "Turks' orders."

"Oh," the soldier said, sounding a bit taken aback by both Vincent's confident tone and the apparent origin of these orders. "I guess they don't want them escaping at a time like this, huh?"

Vincent nodded, and the guard let them by without another word of protest. They made it halfway across the control room before Scarlet noticed them and alerted Rufus. They halted while the President of Shinra approached. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Yuffie held her breath. They couldn't possibly talk their way out of this one. Rufus was a jerk, but he wasn't stupid or gullible, and he'd probably recognize their voices right off the bat. With a glance at Vincent, she checked herself. With how little he spoke, maybe they had a chance. She kept her mouth shut, sure she wouldn't know what to say anyhow.

"Reno of the Turks authorized a transfer," Vincent replied, sounding no less confident for who he was speaking to.

"Reno? What for?"

"I didn't question the order, sir."

"Prob'ly lookin' for payback," Barret spat. "Son of a bitch-!"

Yuffie looked at him in surprise that he had said something to play along, and quickly prodded him hard with the muzzle of her gun, as though in rebuke. He twisted to glare at her.

Rufus was still suspicious. "I've heard nothing of this, and he should know better than to move them at a time like this. Take the prisoners back to their cells and-"

"President Rufus!" came a young soldier's voice. The man ran in, gave a hurried salute, and continued. "Sir! The Sister Ray missed, and Weapon's increased speed! What do we do?"

Rufus cursed under his breath, turning from Vincent to bark orders at his staff. Scarlet, too, became distracted, and with the Shinra executives focusing on more important matters, the group quietly made for the door.

They had just made it down the stairs when the voice over the intercom interrupted itself with a new alert: the Avalanche prisoners had escaped. Vincent broke into a run, and the other two followed, Yuffie mentally cursing her companions' height.

The soldiers they now came across moved to stop them, though with the crisis at hand, most men were diverted to the harbor, leaving the path to the airfield clear. Vincent returned fire, downing many of them before they could properly aim. Yuffie did her best to act as a rear guard, though she had never used a gun before and the rifle's kickback made her aim wild. She wished she had her shuriken. Then she could have taken care of these guys no problem, because she was Yuffie Kisaragi, and she _knew_ how to use a shuriken.

But she'd left it behind because it wasn't a Shinra weapon and would have given her away in an instant.

Several SOLDIERs appeared as they reached the door out onto the airfield. At first she felt relief; the SOLDIERs would have to close with them to attack with their swords.

A bolt spell struck her, making her cry out and lose her footing, nearly dropping her rifle. Barret grabbed her arm, dragged her through the door, and slammed the heavy thing shut behind them. The Highwind wasn't far away, and Vincent had already picked off several of the soldiers between them and the airship, though there were still plenty behind.

Barret took Tifa from Vincent, and he and Yuffie made a run for the airship, Vincent taking over as their rear guard. They reached the lift well ahead of him, and Barret hesitated only an instant before slamming the button to take the lift up without Vincent.

Cid met them at the bottom of the Highwind's ladder, having just come down. "You two get inside," he instructed. "I'm gonna go give Vince a hand." He ran past them and back down the lift, spear in hand.

Yuffie exchanged glances with Barret. Then she shook her head, tossed off the stupid helmet, and motioned for Barret to go up ahead of her so she could help with Tifa if need be.

Cait Sith was waiting for them on deck. "Are you guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Yuffie answered.

Barret grunted.

Cait nodded. "I'll go tell 'em to take off," he said, bouncing off towards the bridge.

"What about-?"

"They'll make it," Barret interrupted.

He had set Tifa down carefully against the railing and stood watching the scene below. Yuffie joined him. The two had just made it back onto the lift. Vincent looked like he was limping, but once they were up, the Shinra couldn't follow for at least fifteen seconds.

The lift reached the top and they broke into a run, Vincent lagging behind. Cid caught the ladder and started up, and Vincent reached it as the Shinra soldiers came up on the lift. Gunfire and elemental spells followed Cid and Vincent up the ladder, but the Highwind was taking off. They were home free.

"Great to have you guys back," Cid said to Barret when he reached the top again, "but I gotta run up to the bridge." Without another word, he dashed back inside.

Barret shook his head at the pilot, gathered Tifa back up, and turned to Yuffie. "Thanks for the rescue, kid."

Kid was better than brat, she guessed. "Any time."

With a nod, he carried Tifa inside at a considerably less hurried pace.

Yuffie remained where she was. She never went inside anyway, and someone had to wait for Vincent.

He reached the top, finally pulled off his mask, and leaned against the railing.

"Are you okay, Vinny?" she asked uncertainly, her eyes going to the spreading bloodstain on his calf. It looked like he bled red just like anyone else.

He nodded silently without looking at her.

"...that looks pretty bad," she said, deciding now was one of those rare instances where she needed to ignore Vincent's opinion. "Let's go inside and see if we've got any Restore materia left. At the very least, I'll bandage it up for you."

"Why so concerned?" he asked quietly.

Yuffie looked at him askance. "You take a blow to the head, Vinny? You're my friend. You're hurt. I don't care if you've been through worse, that doesn't mean you just stand there and bleed."

He returned her gaze, looking almost surprised. "When did you decide we were friends?"

"This morning. Remember?" Her stomach turned as the ship made a turn, and she grimaced. Gods, this was a bad time for her to start feeling queasy. And she couldn't even curse the ship, now that it'd enabled them to escape. She swallowed hard and tugged on Vincent's arm. "Now come on. Or can you not walk now?"

"I can walk."

Yuffie helped him inside the airship, reflecting that for all that was going on, at least her status with this group seemed to be improving. Even Vincent seemed to like her all right.

* * *

Cid set the airship down some miles outside of Kalm. He would have liked to actually go into the town and sleep in a real inn for once, but Barret had assured him Kalm was too much of a Shinra town these days for them to risk it. So this was as close to Midgar as they were going to get until they had a plan to tackle the place.

Turning from the controls, Cid looked over his companions scattered around the bridge. All told, they hadn't fared too badly in that Junon rescue. Only Vincent had suffered any serious injury, and he still seemed to be managing all right. Unfortunately Aeris and Nanaki had been in charge of healing magic, so they'd lost their Restore materia along with them. Now all they could do was bandage their wounds and let them heal the old-fashioned way.

"Well," he said at length, "let's all get some rest."

Vincent hung back behind the others as they headed from the deck to the ship's sleeping quarters, and Cid didn't notice him stop until Yuffie glanced over her shoulder and hesitated.

Cid followed her gaze to find the ex-Turk standing outside the Operations room door, frowning.

"What's up, Vince?"

Instead of answering, Vincent opened the door. His frown deepened.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me."

Cid recognized the voice. It was Reno of the Turks.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So originally there was more with Priscilla, and then leading up to Yuffie and Vincent getting onto the elevator here, but, again, unnecessary so I deleted it. Hey, I guess that makes at least one removed instance of beginning a scene with waking up. Also in the original, they didn't have uniforms until they got into the base, but I decided to just speed things up a little and assume that the Highwind, being a former Shinra vessel, might have had some available. So we cut right to the infiltration and rescue. Hoorah. Yuffie and Vincent are also one of my favorite teams. I just wish they didn't randomly decide to make her clumsy in Dirge of Cerberus. She never used to fall off things, just jump down randomly from the ceiling and steal your shit.

Moving on, the last scene I decided to split up differently so you get a bit better of a cliffhanger than there was originally. I'm sure you'll thank me for it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Cid rushed to join Vincent in the doorway, the others not far behind. Sure enough, there was Reno, sitting with his feet propped up on the table as if he owned the place.

"What are you doing here?" Vincent asked coldly, speaking before the others had recovered from their surprise. His fingers curled around his gun in its holster, and everyone behind him tensed in readiness.

"I'm not here to fight, so don't bother readying your weapons."

None of them relaxed.

"Then why have you come?" Vincent prompted.

"I've quit the Turks."

There was a pause of general bafflement at this announcement before Cid managed, "The hell?"

"More specifically," Reno went on, "I want your help getting Aeris out of Midgar. If I did it on my own, I'd be on Shinra's bad side without any allies."

"Aeris?" Yuffie said, puzzled. "Wasn't... _capturing_ her your job?"

Reno sat up, and something hard entered his tone which Cid had never heard in their confrontations with him. "I never caught her though, and with how she fights, you'd better believe that was intentional."

Cid pressed a hand to his forehead. "I don't get it. Why should you give a shit about Aeris?"

The redhead shrugged. "Is any answer I give you really going to be enough?"

"Then what the hell're you doin' comin' in here?" Barret demanded. "Knowin' there's no way we can trust ya. You're a Turk!"

"So was he," Reno replied, jerking a thumb at Vincent.

That shut everyone up for a moment.

"Look," he said, sobering again, "I know you guys aren't gonna trust me so far as you can throw me, but a lot of you used to work for Shinra. Hell, Reeve still does. And why the fuck would I come here by myself like this? I won't kid myself; I can't take on all of you. So what's the point?"

"You gotta be up to somethin'," Barret said dubiously.

"So don't let me out of your sight."

"The Shinra have taken Aeris before," Vincent stated quietly. "If she is your aim, why did you not act then?"

"Last time they took her? I was laid up in the hospital, thanks to Cloud. They got outta that place last time because of Sephiroth, but she won't be so lucky this time."

"All right. What are you proposing?"

Cid gaped at him. Vincent was actually going to believe this bastard? "Vince, what the hell are you thinking?"

"Shinra has nothing to gain by sending him here alone."

"And it does make sense," Yuffie chimed in, "what he said about Aeris. She was pretty awful at fighting, there's no way she could've taken one of the Turks."

"So he's on his own and for whatever fucking reason, he didn't kidnap Aeris," Cid summed up in annoyance. "What's that supposed to prove?"

"That, at least as far as she is concerned, we may be able to work with him," Vincent said patiently, almost as though talking to a kid, which didn't do anything for Cid's temper.

"Am I the only one who doesn't think that's fucking _convincing_ enough?"

Cait Sith, who had been silent on this idea of letting another member of Shinra into the group, finally spoke up. "Cid, Reno's switching sides for the same reasons I did," he said, voice serious in what must have been something closer to Reeve's own speech patterns. "He's sick of seeing what Shinra does and knowing he's part of it, sick of watching things fall apart for causes he doesn't believe in, and sick of seeing you all acting so damn heroic all the time. A lot of you guys are in this for revenge, but you all seriously want to save the Planet, too. It's all so... noble. And we're just Shinra employees, heartless monsters in it for the money. We'd be stupid not to switch sides."

Reno applauded. "Well put, Reeve. Or am I supposed to call you Cait Sith?"

The cat shrugged. "They know, so the name doesn't matter so much."

"That's what I figured." He ran a hand through his unruly red hair and looked to Cid. "So, can we get on with this now?"

Cid flung up his hands in defeat. "Sure, why not? Let's let our enemy join us numskulls. Wouldn't be the first time."

* * *

"Why'd you tell them to wait outside Sector 7?" Yuffie asked, watching as Reno unlocked the gate to Sector 6. She'd volunteered for this mission. The Turk's plan only required one other person on the inside with him, so long as the others were at the ready to get them back out. Or at least, that's how he'd explained it. Yuffie was skeptical about sneaking into Shinra Headquarters with just the two of them, and she would have felt a lot better if Vincent had come along. But that jerk had just told her that he'd hinder the mission, without explaining why.

And now she was stuck with Reno, who she still wasn't sure she could trust, even with that rescue stunt he'd pulled back in Wutai.

"Sector 7's the way we'll be coming out," Reno told her patiently. It was possible he'd covered this part of the plan on the flight over and she'd been too airsick to follow it.

"Then why are we going in this way?"

"Going through Sector 6 makes for a more discreet entrance," the redhead explained. "Coming back through Sector 7 is for a flashy exit."

"What if we don't make a flashy exit?"

He shot her a look, patience apparently wearing out. "Trust me, we will."

Yuffie shot him a glare which went ignored, but she soon forgot about being annoyed with him as he led her into the slums. True buildings were scarce, most homes here being thrown together from metal and wooden scrap, misshapen huts that looked like they would collapse at any second. The people matched the place, their clothing worn and patched, thrown together from last decade's fashions.

Lights were infrequent, and their beams didn't reach far, throwing shadows down already dark alleys and leaving some places in complete black. It was the middle of the night, but Yuffie realized that it never got any brighter around here. Midgar's plate loomed black some indeterminable distance above them, only a few faint gaps promising some kind of natural light. She felt stifled being here just for five minutes. She couldn't imagine how anyone actually _lived_ here.

There was an arch up ahead, not quite so crudely fashioned, with a neon sign fixed to it. A few letters had shorted out, so that it read 'Wal Mrke.' Reno stopped her just outside it.

"Wall Market's dangerous for a girl," he told her quietly. "You stick close to me, all right?"

She nodded.

"And one other thing..." He looked her over. "Someone might recognize you in those clothes. Upstairs, I mean. We're gonna buy you something here, so you look the part."

Yuffie frowned, and she wanted to argue that she could blend in just fine without a disguise, but the words just lodged in her throat. This place was really getting to her. She swallowed and managed to speak the second time around. "All right, fine. You show me where, and I'll buy something."

Reno was looking at her, his expression calculating, and she felt sure he was already doubting her usefulness for this mission.

"What?" she demanded, some of her usual confidence returning with the challenge. "Are we going or've you got something else to say?"

He looked more amused than intimidated, but he only answered with a shrug and then turned to lead the way through the arch.

This Wall Market place was better lit and better constructed than the area they'd just passed through, though aside from the bright paint people had used on their signs, Yuffie couldn't rate it much better than North Corel. The people were better dressed, too, but she noticed most of the ones they passed were guys, and most of their eyes lingered in places she would have punched them for if they hadn't had a job to do. She edged a little closer to Reno in spite of herself.

The shop Reno finally led her to made it glaringly obvious what kind of district this actually _was_. Yuffie stared at the nearest rack of dresses in disbelief before turning an accusing look on Reno.

"You don't seriously expect me to _wear_ one of these."

"I'm asking you to look the part, not act it," he said. "Are you that much of a prude?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "You want me to look like a... like a _whore_ when we go up there?"

"Easiest way to get a girl in with me," Reno answered, as if this was all so obvious he didn't know why they weren't there already.

"I thought you quit."

"You don't just _quit_ the Turks, Yuffie," he said, and she wanted to punch him for using her name. "Heidegger would've either laughed or had me killed if I'd tried."

Yuffie sobered, and looked him over warily. "So you're saying, they've got no idea you're not on their side, and you could just go home to Shinra any time you wanted?" What the hell was she about to walk into?

She expected him to disagree somehow, but he shrugged again. "I could. But I'm not interested." He gestured to one of the racks. "You gonna find something you like or what?"

If he had any thoughts of going back to Shinra, she was really taking her chances here. While it seemed like an unnecessarily complicated plan just to kidnap _her_, Yuffie wasn't entirely confident he wouldn't change his mind at a crucial moment. If they got caught, maybe he'd turn on her. But, they didn't have any better plans for rescuing Aeris and Nanaki. She'd just have to watch her back.

Finally, she gave him a slow nod. "Right. Let's get this over with."

She flipped through distastefully until finally settling on something she could maybe stand to wear. She changed in the single tiny dressing room in the back, and upon emerging, almost turned right around to hide behind the curtain at the look Reno gave her. Instead, she glared at him furiously, paid for the thing at the counter, and marched out of the store with the Turk not far behind.

"Quite a difference from your usual tomboy look," Reno commented, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, well, there wasn't much to choose from." She tugged at the straps of the dress. "Gawd, I can't wait to get out of this thing."

"I could lend you a hand when we're done here."

That earned him another glare. "Are you insane?"

"Just a suggestion."

"Well, don't make any more."

They made their way through the streets, past crude signs and banners and colored street lamps. The men all looked like punks, and the women never travelled alone. It would have seemed odd that so many people were out at night, if there were any difference between night and day here.

Reno led her past a gaudy mansion in a mockery of Wutain design, and at last down a short alley, away from the lights. A thick wire snaked down from above, its end lying coiled on the ground.

"And that's the way up," the redhead announced.

Yuffie craned her neck, but couldn't make out much above them. The concrete wall that formed one side of the alley seemed to end maybe 30 feet up, but she couldn't be sure. The Turk started up the wire with an air of certainty, and she could only follow.

The wire continued past the top of the wall, but Yuffie had to stop for a moment when she caught sight of the view beyond. A vast field of debris stretched out from the other side of the wall. Fires flickered here and there, illuminating particular scraps of twisted metal, broken roofs, or cracked pavement. Elsewhere, _natural_ light, even if hazy, glinted coldly off the destruction.

"Is this... Sector 7?" she asked in a small voice.

Reno, having climbed on, paused to glance down at her. "Yeah."

"And... you did this?"

"Yeah."

Her mouth twitched as she searched for words, trying to piece together a question that could encompass the sight. In the end all she managed was, "Why?"

"It's what Shinra ordered me to do. They wanted to wipe out Avalanche."

"Like this? By destroying an entire sector? Were they that dangerous?"

"You guys are still alive, aren't you?"

Yuffie frowned. The debris field held her gaze for some minutes longer before she noticed Reno had already resumed climbing, and she followed suit, trying to focus all her attention on the wire.

The wire got them to the underside of the plate, from where they could climb along the mangled edge that had once connected to Sector 7's plate. At length they reached the top. They hauled themselves up onto the pavement, and not far ahead loomed the Shinra building. The sky above wasn't much of a relief from the underside of the plate. Only a handful of stars were visible, and a sickly green haze blotted out the rest.

"I hate this city more and more each second," Yuffie spat in a whisper.

"C'mon, let's just go," Reno said. "And none of those death glares inside, all right? Try to be in character."

"I thought I didn't have to act the part."

"I just meant we're not having sex. You could at least try to _pretend_ we are."

"I'm so killing you after we get back out of here," she hissed, but she took a breath and tried to clear the sentiment from her face.

They headed for the entrance, Yuffie staying close by his side and internalizing all her death wishes. They passed through the glass doors, and the receptionists nearby did little more than cast disapproving frowns in Reno's direction. He returned their looks with a pleasant grin and a wink before ushering Yuffie up a set of stairs to the elevators.

Their trip up was quiet. Not many employees were working this late, and besides a couple people who got on and off again at lower floors, their ride was undisturbed. Reno's keycard granted them access to the restricted floors, and finally the elevator brought them to the 67th floor, dinging pleasantly as its doors opened.

Only here did they move with some sense of stealth. Obviously this wasn't whatever floor Reno had quarters on, so if she'd been what she was pretending to be, he'd totally brought her to the wrong place. Thank the gods she wasn't.

The Turk moved quickly, stealing past doors and down hallways until they reached a short corridor with locked doors on either side: a cell block. He stopped in front of one and punched in the access code. The door slid open.

Aeris and Nanaki were both on the other side, and Aeris stood in surprise, opening her mouth to speak.

"Shh," Reno warned, finger to his lips.

"Reno?" Aeris hissed in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to get you out," he replied, motioning Aeris's attention towards Yuffie. The ninja waved.

The Cetra only seemed more confused. "Why are you...?"

"Explanations'll have to come later," Reno interrupted. "Suffice to say I'm on your side now." He turned to Yuffie. "Well?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Pulling open her bag, she hauled out the arsenal she'd had to keep hidden: a dagger for Aeris, the blades Nanaki used in his headdress, and the rest of her throwing knives that she hadn't been able to hide under the stupid dress. Her shuriken, she'd had to leave behind again, but at least this time she didn't have to mess with any guns.

"Ready," she announced once she'd fastened Nanaki's headdress.

"All right, let's go," said Reno, turning for the door.

Aeris caught his arm. "I want to have a word with Hojo."

He shook his head, disregarding her tone. "Sorry, Aeris, but we don't have time."

"It won't take long."

"Seriously, we gotta go. You remember last time you escaped, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then shut up and follow me."

Aeris frowned, but Reno had already gone out the door, and so she followed him.

Yuffie didn't give herself too much time to wonder what that was about, but motioned for Nanaki to come with. The two of them followed, bringing up the rear.

Reno led them back down the hallway, his pace quick. A pair of guards ran up, stopping in front of him as though they could defeat him. One swing of the Turk's rod sent both of them flying back into the wall. They landed in a crumpled heap, crackling with electricity.

Yuffie was suddenly very glad she'd never had to fight Reno.

The redhead dispatched several other men just as easily as they made their way back to the elevators. Reno's keycard still worked, and they started down.

The elevator opened onto the 59th floor, but only Reno stepped out. Waiting for them was Rude, and behind him a dozen or so men, three of them from SOLDIER.

"Reno," Rude said quietly. "What are you doing?"

The redhead spread his hands. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Why now?"

"You know we've been over it before," he said, glancing at Aeris. "And anyway, I figure Avalanche has a better chance of coming out on top. Shinra's doomed. Might not seem that way now, but it's felt like that to me for a while now. Might as well leave while I can."

Rude shook his head silently.

"You're more than welcome to come with me," Reno offered. "But if not, you know I've got no reservations about kicking your ass."

"I know."

The redhead waited a moment longer for a response no one else noticed. "Ah well." He looked over his shoulder. "You guys ready?"

The three of them nodded.

"Take the Ancient and the creature alive," Rude told his men. "Kill the others."

Reno leapt into motion before he'd finished speaking, going straight for Rude much to Yuffie's startlement. Aeris rushed past her out of the elevator, and she shook herself, following. Nanaki ran out at her side.

Her first knife found some soldier's chest, but she quickly lost any room for throwing. She slashed a second man along his collar bone, but a third struck her from behind with his club, knocking her to the floor.

She rolled back to her feet as quickly as she could, stumbling and cursing. Nanaki had taken down the soldier who had attacked her, and he glanced up for an instant to make sure she was all right before charging another.

A cluster of three near Aeris had nearly pinned the Cetra's arms. Yuffie blasted them with a water spell and ran to help, dodging Reno and Rude as they moved across her path. The ninja hurled a knife towards one SOLDIER approaching Aeris before she'd recovered. The blade buried itself in his shoulder, making him falter long enough for the Cetra to fell him.

"You okay?" Yuffie asked as she reached Aeris's side.

"Yes," came the breathless reply.

The three men Yuffie had knocked down were climbing back to their feet. Aeris hit them hard with a bolt spell, and they did not rise again.

Yuffie gave a start. Aeris shouldn't have had any materia. "How did you-?"

"Later," Aeris interrupted, turning around to face two more men coming towards them.

They fired at Yuffie, but Aeris yanked her sideways and the bullets missed anything vital, one stabbing through her arm. The two girls stumbled, and the soldiers faltered, having lost a clear shot at Yuffie. They lowered their guns and charged instead with their clubs.

Nanaki tackled one from behind, sinking his teeth into the man's neck with an audible crunch. Yuffie recovered enough to throw a knife at the other. It buried itself in his throat and he fell with a gurgling cry.

Aeris had begun an inspection of Yuffie's arm, but she waved her off, not wanting to be pulled out of the fight for that. When she looked around, though, she saw that none of Rude's men remained standing. A few were attempting to get back to their feet, but most were dead or unconscious.

Reno and Rude were still fighting. Both of them were bleeding, and Reno had smashed Rude's sunglasses. Yuffie had never seen the man take them off. Yuffie, Aeris, and Nanaki backed up towards the elevator down, exchanging uncertain glances. It wasn't their fight, but if Reno didn't finish this quick, they couldn't stand around waiting for him.

Reno's eyes flicked their way, seeming to acknowledge this. He darted back a few steps and swung his nightstick at Rude, hitting the man with a blast of electricity. The redhead then turned to them, motioning them towards the elevator.

Rude was quick to recover, his fist flying towards Reno. The redhead barely dodged the attack.

The three backed up close to the elevator doors. Aeris was pushing the button rapidly, but neither of the cars had come yet. Yuffie clutched her wounded arm, starting to feel the pain in earnest now.

She cursed, glancing back at Reno, who was making slow progress back towards them.

One elevator dinged finally, its door opening, but Aeris took a step backwards. Some tall Shinra employee stood inside waiting for them. He wore a suit, but it wasn't a Turk's uniform, and Yuffie had never seen him before. His black hair was swept back, almost shoulder length, and he had a goatee. His light brown eyes didn't look particularly threatening.

"It's me, Reeve," he said when he saw they didn't recognize him. "I'm coming with you."

Neither Aeris nor Nanaki relaxed. "It's okay," Yuffie assured them. "Reeve's Cait Sith."

Aeris gave her a puzzled look before understanding crossed her face, and she stepped onto the elevator. Nanaki followed.

Yuffie turned around, finding Reno not far behind them, but still no closer to getting away from Rude. She backed up into the elevator, casting a look at Aeris. She didn't want to risk knifing Reno, especially with this arm, but maybe... "Aeris, can you do anything?"

"I can try," the Cetra replied doubtfully, but the next instant, an invisible blast threw Rude backwards, knocking him to the floor.

Reno ran to join the group in the elevator. "Go!"

The door slid shut, and the elevator dropped. The redhead fell to a crouch on the floor, breathing heavily.

Yuffie glanced at Aeris, but the Cetra was leaning against the glass wall, looking drained. She grit her teeth, dug around in her bag, and pulled out the headband she'd worn earlier, tying it around her wound. After a minute, Reno picked himself up off the floor and looked the four of them over, saying nothing.

"There'll be more of 'em on the first floor, won't there?" Yuffie said, guessing that's what he was worried about. "Will Rude follow us down?"

Reno shook his head. "I doubt it."

"Why did you fight him?" Reeve asked.

"Had to."

"I thought you two were friends."

"We were."

Reeve fell silent.

"Can you fight, Reeve?" Yuffie prompted.

He shook his head.

"You stick close to me, then. I'll take care of you."

"...all right."

She could tell he was a little skeptical of her ability to protect anyone, especially in her condition. She vowed to prove him wrong.

The elevator reached the first floor, and dinged pleasantly. Yuffie wanted to kill it. A greater number of men awaited them, but only a handful were from the more elite SOLDIER. No Turks, so she wasn't worried. Reno readied his nightstick and stepped out of the elevator first, tired though he must have been. "This'll only take a minute," he told Yuffie.

Some of the soldiers shifted nervously at finding themselves facing a Turk-or rather, an ex-Turk, Yuffie amended. He was definitely out after this episode. True to his word after all.

Reno charged the group, and their bullets bounced harmlessly off a barrier spell he'd cast on himself. The redhead's nightstick cracked against one soldier after another, accompanied each time by a pulse of electricity.

More men were coming in through the main entrance down below, and Yuffie soon saw that however well Reno fought, there were just too many. Nanaki saw it, too, and cast her a look before bounding off to help. Yuffie nodded and motioned for Aeris and Reeve to stick with her as they stepped out of the elevator. They needed to find a way out.

At the back of the building, not far from them, yellow caution tape criss-crossed one of the windows, which Yuffie quickly noticed just wasn't there. It must have been completely smashed; all the glass had been cleared away, leaving a gaping hole.

"I guess they haven't had time to replace it," Aeris remarked. Yuffie glanced at her, surprised to see the Cetra was smiling.

"You know what happened?" Yuffie asked.

"It's how we got out of here the first time," Aeris explained. "There was a truck on display; we drove it through the window."

"Does that mean there's a street back there?"

"There's a drop, but yes."

Yuffie strode to the broken window and peered out. Sure enough, there was a boulevard about ten feet below, empty and stretching out away from the Shinra building. "Where's it lead?"

It was Reeve who answered. "It used to go out to the edge of Sector 7. Just a dead end now."

The ninja grinned. "Then it looks like this is our way out. It looks climbable. You guys start down."

"What about Reno?" Aeris asked, hesitating. Reeve was already tearing aside the caution tape, but he spared her a glance.

Yuffie turned back to where Reno and Nanaki were keeping the soldiers occupied. "Hey, guys!" she shouted. "Come on!"

Both looked her way. Nanaki turned and bounded towards her, his gait too fast for a human to match. The soldiers didn't fire; Shinra must have still wanted him alive. Reno broke away from the soldiers and ran after, throwing bolts of electricity back at the men who followed.

Aeris sprinted the distance to meet him and cast the same spell she'd used on Rude, only its reach was broader. The front line men flew back, knocking down their comrades. She stumbled, but Reno caught her before she collapsed, threw her over his shoulder, and ran to meet Yuffie.

Reeve had already started down, and Yuffie hurried to follow, clenching her teeth against the pain in her arm. Reno climbed over the edge after her, but Nanaki simply leapt over him, landing easily in the street below. Yuffie dropped down to join him and Reeve, and Reno's feet touched pavement not long after. He eased Aeris onto her feet and pulled out his PHS.

"Highwind," he said the second he got an answer. "We're gonna need you to meet us halfway." There was a pause, and then Reno added, "Just do it, I don't give a shit who's in charge" before hanging up.

Shouts from above drew their attention to the window, but no pursuit had shown yet. They couldn't have had more than a few minutes to get going. It sucked that they were on foot.

The sound of a car from behind drew all their gazes, and everyone but Yuffie instinctively moved out of the way. Instead she let out a shout and held her ground. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt just in front of her.

Anyone had to admit that'd looked pretty cool.

Nanaki bounded up on the hood of the car, growling menacingly at the driver. Yuffie yanked the door open, brandishing a knife. "Out," she commanded.

The man stumbled out of the car and to the side of the road, his eyes wide.

Yuffie ignored him and turned to the others. "Who knows how to drive?"

"I do," Reeve volunteered, and she jerked her head towards the driver's seat. She opened the back door for Nanaki, who hopped in. Aeris climbed in after, and Yuffie finally glanced back to Reno.

"Nice," he remarked appreciatively of the whole thing, but motioned for her to get in on the passenger's side. She hesitated, but obeyed. "Floor it, Reeve!" the redhead shouted then, jumping onto the back of the car.

The car accelerated, and Yuffie's stomach lurched as they sped down the road. It was a few moments before she thought to glance back for signs of pursuit. The Shinra building was of course still in sight, but too far for her to make out the window they'd escaped through. They had a few minutes of tense silence before Shinra troops on motorcycle swooped in from an entrance ramp.

From his perch on the back, Reno hurled bolts of energy at them, knocking them back. One got passed, moving up along side the car. Yuffie swallowed her nausea, flinging a knife out her open window and catching the rider in the shoulder before he could fire at them. His bike swerved as he lost control, and fell behind.

Another rammed the car from the opposite side, and Yuffie leaned over Reeve to get a clear shot. Her first knife missed, her second found the soldier's shoulder guard and bounced off. "Damnit!" Yuffie cursed, falling forward across Reeve as the motorcycle slammed into them again. She pushed herself back up and cast a bolt spell on the asshole, who cried out and lost control. The bike crashed into the guard rail.

Yuffie sat back in her seat, swallowing bile and mentally counting her remaining knives. Knife. And she didn't think she had much left in her for more magic. Somewhere above, she caught the sound of propellers; Shinra helicopters were closing in on them.

"It's them," Reeve said, leaning forward to peer up out the windshield. Yuffie looked up; not Shinra helicopters, but the Highwind. They were almost out.

She glanced out the rear view mirrors, seeing only two motorcycles now in pursuit. "We've gotta stop," she said. No way were they trying to pull a leaping-from-a-moving-car-onto-a-moving-rope-ladder deal. Her stomach would never survive it.

Reeve brought the car to a screeching halt, and the motorcycles shot past them at the unexpected stop, turning around farther down the road to come back at them. With her last knife, Yuffie made a throw in a million and caught the one just under the helmet, sending him careering out of control right past them. Reno brought down the other, only then leaping down from his perch to help Aeris out of the car.

The Highwind came to hover above them, and Vincent threw down the ladder.

They made sure Aeris went up first, and the rest followed in their own way, Reno bringing up the rear. Once they were safely on the deck of the Highwind, the airship moved off again away from the city.

"Welcome back," said Vincent quietly.

"Thanks," Yuffie replied, managing a grin.

"Let's get inside," Reno suggested, sounding tired. "Aeris, I'll explain what's going on on the way."

She nodded, though she looked more tired than any of them, and followed as he led the way inside the ship.

The others went, too, Yuffie and Reeve now bringing up the rear.

"So..." he began, slightly awkward, "why are you wearing a dress anyway?"

Yuffie let out a groan, remembering again only now her terrible need to murder Reno. "Don't ask."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So originally the first scene ended with a sort of "What do you have in mind?" and closed the previous chapter. Blah. Also in the original, they parked themselves at the chocobo farm because I used to have this thing where they always had to be at a certain place. Of course they couldn't just stop in the middle of nowhere and sleep on the ship. And then there was this thing where Reno went off to Kalm to buy them some Restore materia which was, I guess, my way of satisfying some OCD need to have the party's inventory plainly stated. I don't know. Anyway I cut that so we skip straight to the Midgar rescue, which is _roughly_ the same as the draft, but with some cuts and improvements in dialogue and such. Reno is also a fun character to write. And not AC Reno where he became comic relief, but game Reno where he was fucking awesome.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Aeris woke after an hour's restless sleep aboard the Highwind. An uneasiness tugging at her, she made her way back out to the deck, where she found Yuffie, apparently unable to sleep either. They nodded tiredly at each other, and Aeris joined her at the railing. She noticed Yuffie's arm was still bandaged.

"Here," she said, motioning for the girl to show her. "Let me take care of that for you."

"Oh. Sure."

Yuffie let her look it over and cast the spell needed to heal it. She shouldn't have been using magic, not after how she'd exhausted herself already, but she didn't want to leave Yuffie with that wound.

"Thanks," Yuffie said when she'd finished.

"You should try to get some sleep," Aeris suggested, wondering if it was pain that had kept her awake.

But Yuffie shook her head. "I'm okay, for a while."

Aeris let it go at that. It was clear now something was on the young ninja's mind, but if the usually talkative girl wasn't going to bring it up, she wasn't about to pry. She had to admit, she wasn't in the mood for talking herself. She wanted to sleep, but something wouldn't let her.

Finally, she lifted her eyes to the sky, searching. Sure enough, it was there. A red globe not yet the size of the moon, hanging sharper than anything else in the sky. She'd avoided looking earlier, but she couldn't ignore it. Even up here, she could still hear the Planet's cries.

Cid came out on deck, apparently just to take a break from his duties on the bridge, as he seemed surprised to see them there.

"You oughtta get some rest, Aeris," he said, lighting a fresh cigarette.

She shook her head, gaze not leaving the sky.

"...worried about Meteor, huh?"

"The Planet can feel it coming," she said quietly. "The Planet is... It's frightened."

"Tell it not to worry," Cid said confidently. "We'll take care of it."

Aeris nodded. "You're right."

Yuffie spoke up finally, voice sounding small without her usual self-assurance. "How are we gonna do that? We're-well, most of us-are only human. Holy's supposed to wipe out Meteor, right? What can we do besides wait for it?"

Aeris slipped a hand into her coat to finger the shards of the White Materia. "Sephiroth's still alive, and so is Jenova. I'm... Holy should come in time to stop Meteor, but Sephiroth seemed confident he could stop it somehow. If he can, then we need to deal with him."

"You mean we gotta go back to the crater?" The ninja didn't sound thrilled about the idea.

"Yes."

"But there's a barrier over the whole thing now," Yuffie said.

"Just means we've gotta figure out a way through it," Cid concluded. His confidence surprised Aeris, but she was grateful for it.

Finally she dropped her gaze from the sky and turned away from the railing. "Barret said Tifa's still unconscious."

"Yeah," Cid confirmed, scratching his head. "You wanna see her?"

She nodded, and he turned to lead her back inside the ship. She could feel Yuffie's anxious gaze on her, but the girl did not follow them.

They had laid Tifa in one of the ship's private quarters, and Barret was there with her when Cid and Aeris entered. He stepped back, letting Aeris kneel down beside the unconscious woman.

"Has she woken at all since what happened at the crater?" she asked.

"Once," Barret told her. "In Junon. She was... pretty down. She kept talkin' like she didn't think we was gonna make it."

Aeris nodded and leaned forward to take Tifa's hand. "Tifa... Tifa, we need you to wake up. If Cloud's alive, then he's going to need your help. You understand, don't you? You remember what he was like. I can't do anything; I wasn't there in Nibelheim. But you were, so you can help him remember."

Tifa's eyelashes fluttered, and Aeris brightened.

"That's it. Stop hiding. It doesn't help you or Cloud or any of us. We need you. Cloud needs you. You're the only one who can help him find himself, and I think you know that better than anyone. It's the reason you hesitated before. You weren't sure then. You still aren't. But if you see him again, I think you will be. So just come back, and we'll find him."

She gave Tifa's hand a squeeze for emphasis, and waited as the woman slowly crawled her way back to consciousness.

At last Tifa opened her eyes, and slowly turned her head to focus on the Cetra. "Thanks, Aeris," she said softly.

Aeris smiled tiredly. "Don't worry about it."

The brunette sat up carefully, as though not certain what her body was capable of, and looked around the room without recognition. "What did I miss?"

Between Cid and Barret, with only occasional additions from Aeris, it made for a rather colorful explanation of recent events. Tifa listened without remarking on this and nodded in understanding when they'd caught her up. Then she stood and looked each of them in the eye as though searching for the one answer she hadn't heard. Finding nothing there, she worked up the courage to ask.

"If... If Cloud's still alive, where do we look for him?"

"I've talked with Nanaki about it," Aeris said. "We think... maybe he fell into the Lifestream. Nanaki says he's heard of a place to the South where the Lifestream meets the ocean. I'm not sure how good our chances are, but he may have turned up there."

"To the South... Near Mideel?" The brunette nodded decisively. "It's worth checking out." She looked them all over again with new energy. "How is everyone? Can we leave right away?"

"We can get some sleep on board," Aeris said, speaking with an air of certainty despite her own failure at getting any rest. "I think it's up to Cid."

"Well?" Tifa asked, looking at the pilot hopefully.

"I'll set a course," he said, and swiftly left the room to tell his crew their new destination. Tifa followed not far behind him, and Barret went with her, leaving Aeris alone in the room.

"If only you could do that for yourself, huh?" said a voice from the doorway.

Aeris turned to find Reno standing there. He must have been listening in the entire time from the hallway. "What do you mean?"

"You know. What you did for Tifa just now. A few words and a smile and she's good to go. I'm not sure what _you_'ve been through, but you're definitely not up to your usual cheery act. Are you worried sick? Is that it? Did you fall in love with that spiky-haired idiot, too?"

She shook her head. "No, Reno. Surprisingly enough, I didn't."

"Then what's up?"

"You think I'm going to tell you?"

He spread his hands. "Your friends don't know you like I do."

"Well, at least they're my friends."

He almost looked hurt at that, and the expression was fleeting enough she thought it might be real. "I'm through with Shinra, 'ris. We're not enemies anymore."

"I know." She sighed, not sure how to deal with that and too tired to figure it out. "This isn't the right time to talk about it. Let's just get some rest, all right?"

"Yeah. All right."

* * *

The town of Mideel was small, simple, and completely free of Shinra's influence. It lay on the largest of a stretch of islands far to the south, and for most of the island there was nothing but forest. They landed the Highwind along an open stretch of coast to the south of the village and walked the rest of the way beneath the forest canopy. A narrow path they discovered finally widened and led into town, where an old man lounging near the entrance called out a cheerful greeting.

Yuffie decided she liked the place almost immediately. It didn't have a trace of the tension you found in any town Shinra had touched. It didn't even carry the precarious calm of Cosmo Canyon or Bone Village, which seemed to be holding their breath, burying their noses in things long past to avoid attracting any attention. Instead it felt fresh and alive, not in any great hurry but not dragging any dead weight.

Falling behind her companions, Yuffie stopped to just look around. She hoped, somehow, this place could be spared. The thought surprised her a little. She sure was thinking a lot more than she usually tried to. Maybe seeing Midgar and the ruins of Sector 7 had something to do with it. She wasn't sure.

Maybe it had reminded her that even if they did defeat Sephiroth and Holy did stop Meteor, there was still a hell of a lot wrong with the world. There weren't many places like this.

The rest of the group had stopped a little ways ahead, and Yuffie snapped out of her reverie to join them.

"I guess we should ask around," Tifa was saying. "See if anyone knows anything about the Lifestream coming up here."

They were all in agreement, and dispersed to explore the little town.

Yuffie wandered into a nearby shop, thinking to find a general store and question its owner. Instead she was surprised to find it was a weapons shop, though she soon realized that the people here would have to fend for themselves. There were monsters here just as anywhere, and no Shinra to protect against them.

"You here on vacation, Miss?" asked the shopkeeper.

_On vacation? I wish._ "No, we're looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yeah. Have you seen a guy with spiky blond hair and really blue eyes by any chance?"

The woman pondered this a moment. "A couple days back, I heard some people talking about a boy who washed up on the beach. Blue eyes... and a big sword, they said."

"That sounds like him. D'you know where to find him?"

"I'm not sure, but you might want to check at the clinic."

After getting directions from the woman, Yuffie left the shop to follow the road up a hill. At its crest, there was a single white building, shaded by the edge of the forest. She went up to the door and went in without hesitation.

Barret was already there, an anxious expression on his face. He glanced at Yuffie, but said nothing. Farther back in the room stood a mustached doctor and a tall nurse, but they provided no explanation either. They seemed almost ashamed.

"Is he here?" she asked.

"Yeah," Barret replied with a shake of his head. He motioned towards a doorway. "In there. He's..."

Frowning, Yuffie moved past him and on into the other room. Aeris stood to one side of the door and glanced at Yuffie as she entered. Tifa was on her knees in front of a too-white bed, in which lay Cloud. He lay with his head slumped away from her, but his eyes were open and wandering, trying to take in the room but not seeming to see it. Tifa was crying silently.

"What... What happened to him?" Yuffie managed.

"Mako poisoning," Aeris answered quietly. "The Lifestream... It must have been too much for his mind to handle, all that information and memory and emotion. I... I didn't know humans could be so affected by it. You can't even... hear anything."

Yuffie looked at her without comprehension. She felt disoriented, first at finding Cloud like this and then at being reminded that Aeris wasn't human. It was easy to forget.

The Cetra shook her head, searching for the right words to explain. "It's like... if you suddenly had the knowledge and memories of a thousand people all poured into your head at once. Does that make sense?"

"...will he be okay?"

"I don't know."

Tifa suddenly looked back at her, her face tear-streaked. "Aeris, you... Aren't you a healer? Can't you...?"

"I've never seen Mako poisoning before," Aeris said, shaking her head slowly. "I can try to help him, but... I don't know."

"Please," Tifa entreated. "Please try. The doctor doesn't know what to do, and I don't know what to do, and... Please."

Aeris nodded. "All right."

Tifa picked herself up off the floor, but stayed close as Aeris went to Cloud's bedside and took his hand. She closed her eyes, and for several long minutes, everyone held their breath.

The others came into the clinic during the silence, all crowding into the first small room, asking Barret what was going on and receiving clipped answers and urgent 'shut up's. Reeve spoke with the doctor in hushed tones. Nanaki ventured into the next room, bumping Yuffie's leg. She crouched down beside him and stroked his mane while she kept her eyes on Aeris.

Finally, the Cetra opened her eyes and looked at Tifa. "I... I think I might be able to help. But it may take a while, and it won't be easy."

Tifa nodded. She turned her gaze to the doorway, blinking in surprise as she noticed they'd all gathered. "You all... don't have to stay. Relax, look around town. If... If Cloud gets any better, we'll come find you."

They agreed to check in with her and Aeris later, and then filed out of the clinic, leaving the Cetra to her work.

"Well, that sucks," Reno commented, obviously not the least bit bothered. "Your leader having Mako poisoning and all."

Yuffie shot him a look. Maybe it was time to cash in on the murdering plan.

"Just shut the fuck up, Reno," Cid spat. "You don't give a damn. Shit, you're probably even _glad_ he's like that."

"Poor Tifa," Reeve murmured, immediately quelling the fight that was about to start. A short silence followed.

"We ought to find an inn," Nanaki said. "Some of us have not slept decently in a while, and Aeris will no doubt be tired after healing Cloud."

"Right," Cid agreed, letting out a breath. "We'll find an inn, and get some well-deserved rest."

It wasn't much of a vacation, considering Cloud's condition was going to be on all their minds, but at least it was a break. They could definitely use a rest from all that running around and rescuing people. She'd barely even shut her eyes after the Midgar excursion, and a long nap sounded good just about now.

* * *

She may have been a healer, but Aeris hadn't had much experience before joining Cloud. Her mother had taught her the basic spells, but everything beyond that, she'd had to puzzle out for herself. Different wounds required different weaves. She had never seen anything like Mako poisoning before, and she had only a vague idea of how to go about healing it.

The difficult thing was that Cloud's condition really had nothing to do with his body. A normal person might have been killed by the exposure, the doctor had said, but Cloud had already been showered with Mako. Whether or not he'd been a member of SOLDIER, the glow of his eyes proved he'd undergone similar treatments. Regardless, his body had simply adapted to the excess energy, and he was fine in that regard.

The problem lay with his mind. The Lifestream contained the knowledge and memories of the dead, not just human dead, but animals, plants, anything that had once possessed life. Their souls degraded in the Lifestream, got torn apart. Memories became fragmented and ran together with other memories. Thought patterns spliced, and knowledge lost all language.

Aeris was used to it. As a Cetra, she could interpret the knowledge in the Lifestream and weed out the chaos.

But Cloud was only human, whatever experiments he might have undergone. His consciousness had gotten lost in all that turmoil, and she had to figure out how to bring him back. It was unlike any kind of healing she had done before. She would have to delve into his system much as she did when reading the Lifestream, and she really had no idea if she could change anything.

Tifa sat on the bed opposite Cloud's, watching anxiously. She'd wiped the tears from her face and pulled herself together, and now she awaited Aeris's verdict. Whatever the Cetra determined, that would be her reason to hope, or to let herself fall apart again.

She had to try.

Aeris closed her eyes again and set to searching out the connection between Cloud's soul and the Lifestream, finding the pieces which had surged across where they didn't belong. It was a while before she realized that she was actually accomplishing something, although what, she wasn't sure. The realization made her snap back to herself. She blinked as if to clear her vision and glanced at Tifa to regain her bearings.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Evening," Tifa answered, regarding her uncertainly.

"Evening..." Aeris echoed in disbelief. She had been at this for the better part of a day, without even realizing. She looked back at Cloud, and hesitated. "...Cloud?"

He turned his head enough to look at her, and for an instant he seemed to recognize her. He began to say her name, but broke off into a moan, tossing his head to the side.

Tifa was at his side in an instant, touching his hand, peering into his face. "Cloud? Can you hear me?"

"Uhnn... Ti... Tifa..."

Aeris shook her head. "He's... not back yet," she said sadly. "I think I'm getting somewhere, but... It's hard."

Tifa looked at her. "But you can do it?"

"I'm not sure. There are... gaps. And fragments that seem like his, but they don't seem to fit right, and..." She faltered, sure she wasn't making any sense. "It's his mind that's damaged. Maybe if I do everything that I can, he'll be the Cloud we know, even if he's not completely healed. He was never..."

"...all there," Tifa finished. "I know."

Aeris nodded. Tifa more than any of them must have known something was wrong with Cloud. That was why when he'd needed her, she hadn't been able to pull through. "I... I'm going to try again."

"Do you need anything?"

"No. Just don't distract me."

* * *

Late into the night, Aeris collapsed from exhaustion, and the nurse in the clinic helped Tifa moved her to one of the other beds.

The brunette then turned hopefully to Cloud. She couldn't know how much Aeris had done, but maybe she'd gotten through to him. She sat down at his bedside and searched his face. His eyes were closed, so she thought maybe he was asleep, but she couldn't stand to wait. "Cloud?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Ti...fa..." He repeated her name several times, stressing the wrong syllable, changing the pitch of his voice, stretching out the sounds. He couldn't seem to grasp its meaning. Finally, he fell silent and shook his head a little.

Tifa bit her lip. "Cloud, it's me. _I_'m Tifa. I'm here with you."

He looked back at her blankly, then turned his head, gaze slowly sweeping around the room. "Little shards of glass," he mumbled. "Which... which ones are mine? Ragged... all gone again... Where did she go?"

"Aeris is resting," she told him, though she had no idea if that was what he meant, or if he would even understand her answer. Or his own question for that matter.

He kept on speaking in incoherent strings of words, like fragmented poetry. Every now and then he asked a question that almost made sense, and Tifa did her best to answer it. At length, he trailed off and studied the room in silence, ignoring her entirely.

She could have wept again, but she just held his hand fast and calmed herself. Aeris had said it could take a while. It was clear that he wasn't the same as when she'd found him, unable to form words or focus on anything. Now, he could recall her name when she spoke to him, even if he couldn't seem to understand who she was. It was his lack of recognition that hurt, but it didn't mean he wasn't getting better.

Cid, Yuffie, Nanaki, and Reno came into the clinic a little after sunrise. Her friends seemed hesitant to learn Cloud's condition, but the Turk strode on into the room without reservation.

"How's your fearless leader doing?" he asked.

She got to her feet, not wanting to have to look up at him. "A little better, maybe." She looked past him at her friends as they came in.

"What about Aeris?" Cid asked, nodding in the Cetra's direction.

Tifa glanced back at where she still lay sleeping. "She worked herself too hard. She needs to rest a while."

"But Cloud's a little better now?" Yuffie asked, studying the blond. The nurse had propped him up to get some food into him, and he looked back at her fixedly. "Do you think Aeris can make him _all_ better?"

"If she can, it's going to be hard on her," Tifa answered, shaking her head slowly. "She was at it all day, and he's still..."

"Still what?"

"He was talking a bit earlier, but he's still so confused. Most of what he's saying doesn't make sense, and he... doesn't seem to understand me when I talk to him."

"This may be just one consciousness of many for him," Nanaki considered. "The memories of many others are readily available, almost indistinguishable from this reality."

"Maybe he doesn't understand that he can respond, or doesn't know how to," Tifa reflected sadly.

"Poor guy's still pretty fucked up, in any case," Cid remarked, watching Cloud's gaze make its circuit around the room. "I just hope Aeris can get his brain working right before we have to go kick Sephiroth's ass."

"Agreed," Yuffie said.

"Maybe he just needs a good whack on the head," Reno suggested.

Tifa pressed her lips together. "Reno, why are you even here?"

"I like to see things first-hand if I can. Besides, you guys need to lighten up. It's not like Aeris does this every day. She's probably still figuring out how it works. Once she's got it, Strife'll be back to his usual idiot self in no time."

Tifa had been expecting a snide or insulting reply, or at the least a dissatisfying one. What she'd gotten was reassurance. From a Turk. "...I hope you're right," she managed.

The redhead only nodded. His expression was confident, as if to say 'of course I'm right, I'm Reno.'

Cloud began mumbling incoherently, drawing Tifa's attention. She sat down and took his hand, trying to answer his vague questions and all the while suppressing her growing despair at his lack of understanding. He _was_ doing better than before. Aeris would bring him back to himself, and he would be _her_ Cloud, Cloud of Nibelheim.

The others were silent as she kept up the hopeless dialogue. Even Reno refrained from comment.

At length Cloud ceased responding. Tifa let out a sigh, dropping her head.

"Do you need to rest, Tifa?" Nanaki asked gently. "It seems you have not slept."

"I'm all right. I just... want to stay here with him, until he's all right."

"There's no use killin' yourself over him, kid," Cid told her. "Stay here if you want, but if ya need to sleep, sleep. And shit, eat something, why don't you?"

Tifa smiled faintly. "Thanks for worrying about me. I... I guess I am a little hungry."

"I'll get you something," Yuffie said helpfully. "They have great food at the inn."

She nodded her appreciation, and the others left the clinic, Yuffie promising to be back in a little while with something to eat.

Tifa turned back to Cloud, who was watching her silently, as though from a great distance. She thought on what Nanaki had said and squeezed his hand. "Cloud. This is now. This is reality. Please, come back to me."

"What... what do you want from me?" The question didn't seem to be directed to her, but she could tell it was his own.

"Just come back to me," she pleaded. "Me, Tifa, and your friends. Ignore all those other voices. Please..."

He shook his head slowly. "Can't... It's all... lost together, wouldn't wait for me. He didn't give me a number... Who am I?"

"You're Cloud. You're _my_ Cloud. You're Cloud of Nibelheim. So please..."

"He can't, Tifa."

She started and turned in the direction of the voice. Aeris was awake and sitting up, watching solemnly.

"Not yet," she continued. "It's too much for him by himself. He doesn't know enough about himself or what's happened to him. He's alone, and he's doubting, and he's confused."

"But he's _not_ alone," Tifa protested. "I'm here with him. We're all here for him."

"But he's not sure of that. He might not even understand how we can be here."

Tifa looked back at Cloud. He had turned his head to regard Aeris with an expression close to awe, as though he recognized her from a dream.

"If I'm going to heal him," the Cetra went on, "I'll need your help, Tifa."

"What do you mean? I'm not a healer."

"No, but you know him better than I do. I need you to tell me something, about what really happened five years ago. What happened in Nibelheim?"

Tifa hesitated, reluctant to say anything after all this time. She'd kept it to herself for so long, she'd almost convinced herself that it was _her_ memory that was faulty. She'd wanted to believe in Cloud so badly, she hadn't been able to confess the truth when it might have made a difference.

But now Aeris was telling her it still could. Nibelheim was, after all, the key. If they could find out why Cloud knew what he did, then they could figure out who he was, and what had happened to him.

Slowly, cautiously, Tifa began to speak.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So since in the original they left Tifa and Barret at the chocobo farm so they could rest, they had to go back and pick them up, and things just went a little differently. Consequently the beginning half of that first scene had to be rewritten. The Mideel scenes here were also shortened a bit, and I decided to just end with Aeris asking about Nibelheim instead of recapping the story everybody already knows.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Everything came easier once she had heard Tifa's side of the story. Although she couldn't read the thoughts and memories that swirled through Cloud's mind, somehow she could still tell when one of them didn't fit the story she had heard. There remained some false memories so tangled up with the real ones that she had to leave them as they were, but she was sure that these, at least, wouldn't keep him from regaining his mind.

When at last Aeris opened her eyes, she felt thoroughly exhausted. It wasn't so much a bodily weariness, but a deep fatigue in her mind and heart. After guiding and sometimes even tearing so many voices away from Cloud, she felt as though a part of herself had vanished with them. She felt empty.

She glanced around, noting the change in the way the light slanted through the windows, and surmised that it was now sometime in the afternoon.

Tifa was watching her eagerly. "Did you-? Is he...?"

"I think so. There's nothing else I can do." She shook Cloud's arm to rouse him. "Cloud?"

"Hnn," he murmured, and for a minute that was the only response she got out of him.

"Cloud...?" Tifa said softly, her hope faltering.

But he opened his eyes on hearing her voice and looked around in disorientation. "Where...?" He caught sight of Aeris first. "Aeris? What are you doing here?"

Tifa leapt to her feet. "What is she doing here? Cloud, we've been looking after you, worried sick, for two days straight now!"

Cloud pushed himself up on his elbows, turning his startled gaze on Tifa. "What?"

"You fell into the Lifestream," Aeris explained wearily, "and got a bad case of Mako poisoning. This is a clinic in Mideel; some people found you washed up on the beach and brought you here. It's been a week since we left the Crater."

"Mako poisoning?" he wondered, looking down at the bed he found himself in, and then around the room again. "How...?"

"Aeris healed you," Tifa said. "You should thank her."

"...thanks, Aeris," he said. He was still disoriented and confused, and the sincerity was raw.

"You're welcome," she replied mechanically. Slowly, she got to her feet. The air seemed heavy on her shoulders, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere and sink into oblivion. "I'm very tired. I'm going to find the inn and get some rest."

Cloud threw aside the blanket, starting to get to his feet and briefly puzzled at not knowing the location of his boots. "We'll go with you," he said, with a brief glance at Tifa to assure himself that this was all right. "No point in staying here any longer."

"Right," Tifa confirmed.

Aeris faltered, looking back and forth between them. It seemed wrong somehow for them to simply take up the roles they'd carried before without a word of affection exchanged. "You two..." She struggled for some remark that could let them open up to each other, and came up empty.

"What is it, Aeris?" Cloud asked.

She stared at him. Surely he had no idea what had happened over the past week, but here he was, already beginning to assume his role as leader. To pick up where he'd left off, doubts forgotten. "Don't... don't you have some things to sort out?" she managed finally.

He glanced at Tifa, and some of the uncertainty returned. "Yeah, I guess I do. But... I need to know what's happened since. Both of you... could probably use some rest, too."

Aeris sighed and let it drop. "Yes. I'll... meet you back at the inn." She started for the door, but felt herself suddenly drifting. Her body wasn't tired, but her mind was slipping, trying to detach from reality.

She couldn't fight it. She didn't want to. After a moment's brief resistance, part of her reasoning that she should at least make it to the inn, she indulged her mental fatigue and lost consciousness.

* * *

"You're with those strange people?" the innkeeper asked when they inquired after where their friends were staying. She then glanced at the unconscious woman Cloud held in his arms and seemed to decide this was not so surprising after all. "They've got the two adjoining rooms at the end of the hall, on the right."

"Thank you," Tifa said, and led the way down the hall. Cloud followed, studying her from behind. She wasn't acting like someone who'd been worried sick about him, but he guessed that wouldn't be much like her. She was too strong to let a friend's injury keep her down, especially now that he'd recovered.

Cid was the only one in the first room, and he jumped up when he saw them. "Cloud, you son of a bitch!" he exclaimed. "What the fuck were you doing makin' everybody worry?"

"...sorry," he offered.

"Apologize to Tifa, not me. And shit, did Aeris wear herself out again healin' you?"

"Yes, Cid, she did," Tifa answered patiently. "So lower your voice, she needs her rest."

Cid ran a hand through his hair. "Heh... Right."

Cloud walked past him and laid Aeris down on one of the beds. "Where are the...?" he began, but stopped as the door to the next room burst open to admit Barret, Nanaki and Cait Sith trailing after.

"Damn, Cloud," Barret cursed, though he looked glad to see him. "You go off makin' everybody worry 'bout yo' spiky ass, and now you jes' fine, huh?"

"Thanks to Aeris," Cloud said, shrugging uncomfortably.

"It's good to have you back, Cloud," Cait Sith said amicably. "Everybody's yelling at you, I know, but we're all glad you're okay."

"Thanks," he said, hoping that would be the end of it. They were all so glad to have him back, it was like they'd forgotten what he had done before they lost him. The memory was fuzzy, and he'd almost forgotten it himself, but he couldn't let that happen. He didn't deserve being allowed to come back like this, and once he was caught up, he'd have to think about whether he could really stay.

"Where are the others?" Tifa asked, looking around.

"Yuffie dragged 'em out," Cid answered. "Said Reno and Reeve needed new clothes, and I guess she's right. They don't need to look like Shinra bastards anymore."

Cloud gave a start. "Reno and Reeve?" He had definitely missed something there.

"Shit, Tifa, you didn't fill him in on what's happened?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'm the best one to tell it, since... well, you know."

Cloud looked at her in confusion. "Since what?"

"She prolly don't want you to know," Barret said, "but Tifa collapsed after you gave Sephiroth the Black Materia. She couldn't stand thinkin' you might be dead."

"She was comatose for days," Nanaki added.

He looked at Tifa in shock. As long as he'd known her, if he'd really known her, she'd always been able to keep moving forward. She could get emotional and rush into dangerous situations, but she never just gave up. He'd admired that about her. "You... were _that_ worried about me?"

She avoided his stunned gaze and didn't answer.

"Tifa, I'm not even-"

"No, you are," she interrupted now, looking back at him with a forced smile. "And anyway, you're my best friend, aren't you? I... I didn't want to think that I'd lost you. But it's all right now. You're back."

"Tifa..." He shook his head slowly. He definitely didn't deserve _this_. Even if he was somehow the Cloud she'd grown up with, he was so messed up. And how could he be? His memories of Nibelheim didn't match with hers, did they? Nothing about him was what it should have been. He couldn't even defy Sephiroth's will, however much he hated him. He'd been more of a hindrance than a help in everything they'd set out to accomplish. He didn't deserve Tifa standing there, caring about him like he really was her best friend. He wasn't even a whole person.

He felt her hand on his shoulder. "Cloud... I don't know what happened to you. I don't know why you remember the things you do. But I _do_ know that you're Cloud, _my_ Cloud, not anyone else. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be? Five years ago... I wasn't there, was I? I never came."

Tifa dropped her gaze, but her hand stayed on his shoulder. "If you came," she said quietly, "I never saw you. But... I don't think that proves you weren't there at all."

He frowned in confusion. "But Sephiroth and Zack were the only ones who went to Nibelheim."

She was quiet for a moment, and then she looked up at him, studying his face. "No," she said slowly. "That's not exactly right. There were two other men who came, only I never saw their faces or heard them speak. One of them was right there with us the whole time."

"But..."

"Were you really in SOLDIER, Cloud? I know you look like it, from your eyes. And you're strong enough, now, that you could be, but you were still so young, back then. There weren't too many in First Class."

It was true he had no memory of becoming First Class, but he couldn't remember joining Shinra's ranks at all. "I don't remember."

But a faint smile had come to her face anyway. "Maybe, that was your only lie here. When we disguised ourselves in Junon, the uniform was familiar, right? You'd worn it before."

Cloud shook his head. "That doesn't really prove anything, Tifa."

"Well," she said, "you just think on it. Maybe it'll start coming back to you. But you don't need to worry about it too much right now. I believe in you."

He was at a loss for words. He wanted to tell her she shouldn't, but he didn't know how to argue with her. He wanted to think she was right, too. She said it all with such conviction; who was he to say she was wrong when he had no idea of the answer?

"Damnit, Cloud, the hell are you waiting for?"

Cid's voice startled him back out of his thoughts. He'd forgotten the others were even there. "Huh?"

"You're supposed to kiss the girl!"

"W-_what_?" he stammered, feeling his face heat up at the suggestion. He glanced at Tifa, surprised to find her just as red.

She drew her hand back from his shoulder. "What are you talking about, Cid?" she asked, and he could hear her straining to keep her voice level.

"Oh, come _on_! You're both-"

"Cid," Nanaki interrupted. "Perhaps now is not the best time. We should update Cloud on all that's happened, and I am sure they would prefer privacy for such a thing."

Cloud was glad for the intervention, though he couldn't help a suspicious glance at the feline. The way he'd said that almost made it sound as though he agreed with Cid's suggestion.

"Fine," Cid sighed. "I'll explain."

There followed the most colorful explanation of events that Cloud had ever heard in his life, after which Tifa offered a dry thanks.

"So, Sephiroth has summoned Meteor?" Cloud asked quietly.

"Yes," Nanaki answered. "It became visible a few days ago."

"I'm really sorry, guys. I'm..."

"It's all right, Cloud," Tifa interrupted. "No one blames you."

"I should've been strong enough," he protested.

"Well, it's no use beating yourself up over it. We just have to figure out what to do next."

"Oh, good," came a new voice from the doorway. "It looks like you guys are through the sappy stuff already."

Cloud frowned and turned his attention in Reno's direction. Coming inside with him were Yuffie, Vincent, and a man who must have been Reeve. He didn't offer them any sort of greeting, leaving that up to someone else. The others already in the room didn't seem much more appreciative of his arrival.

"Did you have something to say, Reno?" Tifa asked.

"Actually, yeah," he said. "It looks like we might have some problems. Oh, and hi, Aeris."

Cloud blinked and turned to look. Sure enough, Aeris had just sat up. She still looked dead tired, but she was awake.

"Hi, Reno, she replied wearily. "What problems?"

"Shinra's trying to come up with a way to stop Meteor," Reeve explained. "They're planning to collect Huge Materia from all the reactors to use as a weapon."

"So?" Cid asked. "If it gets rid of Meteor, what do we care?"

"It won't work," said Aeris. "Meteor is too powerful."

"But they'd still wind up with one more weapon they could use to keep everyone else scared," Yuffie put in. "And we can't let that happen."

"So we gotta get the Huge Materia before the Shinra," Barret concluded.

"That's the idea," said Reeve.

"What is Huge Materia, exactly?" Tifa asked.

"It's hundreds of times more powerful than regular materia," Reno told her. "It may not be much use against Meteor, but if we got it for ourselves, we'd definitely stand a better chance against Sephiroth."

Cloud frowned again. It didn't feel right to have a Turk among them, contributing ideas like this. Even if his information was accurate, and even if he had saved Aeris and Nanaki, he was a Turk. The others had had a couple days to adjust, but for Cloud it was still a struggle not to draw his sword. "So, where do we go first?"

"It'd be better if we split up," Reno said.

"We've only got one airship," Cid stated.

"So we can drop people off and come back for them later."

"I don't like the idea of splitting up," Tifa said. "We only just got everyone back together again."

The others murmured their agreement, and the redhead sighed. "Fine, suit yourselves."

"We should go to North Corel," Reeve said. "I'm pretty sure that's where Scarlet said they'd be going first."

"North Corel?" Barret exclaimed. "Shit, let's go right now!"

"Calm down, Barret," Aeris said quietly. "They've got no reason to hurt the townspeople, and Tifa and I still need rest."

"We'll leave tomorrow morning then," Cloud decided. "Early."

* * *

The evening was still young, but no one had forgotten the frequent sleep-deprivation of their journey, and they were quick to take advantage of another opportunity for a good night's sleep. As usual, the inn hadn't had enough free beds to provide for such a large party, and they wound up with only six beds for the eight who wanted them.

Aeris slipped out into the hall during the ensuing argument, and Tifa decided to follow.

The Cetra didn't go far. She just sat down against the wall outside their rooms, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Everything all right?" Tifa asked.

Aeris glanced up at her. "It's a little hard to think in the middle of all that, that's all."

"I can understand that," Tifa said, sitting down beside her. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing. It's just been a long couple of days."

"I guess it has." Tifa fell silent for a while. Obviously it wasn't nothing, but she didn't know how to get Aeris to talk to her. "What happened with Sephiroth, and when the Shinra took you in... You can talk to us about it, if you want to."

"I don't."

She hadn't expected that blunt of a reply, and it threw her off. And it hurt, too, to think that she had trusted Aeris with some of her most painful memories just that day, but Aeris wouldn't even consider opening up to her. It wasn't that Aeris didn't trust her, she was sure. Probably, it was still too soon. A little more than a week ago, she'd still been Sephiroth's captive, and the days since then hadn't given her much time to sort things out. Tifa hadn't talked about Nibelheim for a long time even after she'd recovered from her injuries.

"Aeris," she began hesitantly, "maybe... maybe you should go home."

"Home?" Aeris repeated.

"Yeah. You need time, don't you? To figure things out. I don't think it does you any good to be on this journey. You've already done more than any of us. Let us take care of things from here."

The door to their left opened and Reno stepped out into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind him. He said nothing, and Aeris didn't seem to notice him.

"Where would I go? Home isn't safe anymore; the Shinra would find me."

"You could stay here," Tifa suggested. "Shinra has no influence here, and I'm sure the villagers would welcome you."

Aeris shook her head slowly. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to see him again."

Tifa gave a start. What did she mean by _that_? "Aeris..."

"I need to be sure. And when I am, I can decide whether to save him or kill him."

Tifa fell silent. She had never heard Aeris talk that way before, and she didn't know how to respond to it.

"Well," said Reno, "whatever's going on here, I'm glad you're sticking with us, 'ris."

"I know you are," the Cetra replied, slowly getting to her feet.

Even he seemed taken aback by her tone. "I mean," he continued awkwardly, "we kind of need you with us. You're an Ancient; you know better than any of us what's going on. When the world's ending and you're trying to stop it, that's kind of important."

She shook her head. "Not really. You just have to know what to do."

Tifa picked herself up off the floor. "I don't think we do know, Aeris," she said. "So if you want to keep helping us... well, I'm grateful."

"All I can do is try," Aeris said. She led the way back into the room, where one empty bed remained.

"Cloud's in the other room," Reno told Tifa. "I figure you'd rather sleep with him. Aeris, I guess you're with me."

Instead of rejecting the suggestion like the poor pick-up line it was, Aeris just nodded.

"What?" Tifa asked, giving Reno a sharp look.

"It's all right, Tifa," Aeris assured her. "It's not like he'd try anything."

"No privacy," Reno put in.

The brunette frowned. She couldn't help feeling like he was just taking advantage of Aeris's mood, but it was still Aeris's decision, in the end. "You had better behave yourself, Reno," she warned.

"Yes'm," he replied with a grin.

Tifa sighed and went on into the next room. Her mood brightened instantly on seeing Cloud already asleep there. He always looked so different in his sleep, without the cares of the waking world. She pulled off her boots and lay down next to him, just watching him for a long moment. He really was all right now. Whatever else was going on, Cloud was alive and well and right there beside her.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The scene where Cloud and Tifa talk and sort of have a moment was almost completely rewritten. In the original draft, she actually got him to remember what happened, but when I read it through again, that just seemed too easy. Cloud has serious _issues_ that aren't going to magically go away through talking. And while it was a nice, dramatic reveal in the game, I think it works better here to leave him messed up. And despite not having any real confirmation, Tifa's still right there with him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Sephiroth woke disoriented. His dreams had left him vaguely hopeful, but upon waking he knew that they had been grossly inconsistent with reality. He had dreamt of _her_, and he felt disgusted with himself for having thought of her so fondly.

_Finally._ Jenova did not bother masking her impatience.

He rose to his feet, ignoring her as he regained his bearings. He was deep within the crater, now even more barren a place than before. The Lifestream had at last given up its futile efforts to heal the wound, and instead only his near-impenetrable barrier stretched across it, distorting the sky. He could feel some sort of energy humming beneath the earth, beneath his feet. He wondered if it was Aeris's precious Holy. Caves led deeper into the Planet, and Sephiroth made for one entrance to find out.

_How long have I been asleep?_ he asked as the darkness of the tunnels surrounded him.

_Seven days_, Jenova answered disapprovingly. _Did you really need so much rest?_

Meteor is a powerful spell, he reminded her, frowning. _It required considerable energy to summon. Besides, there is nothing left now but the wait._

The puppet is still alive, she stated.

_I know. What is his condition?_

Unfortunately, he is fine. The Cetra cured his Mako poisoning.

Sephiroth found himself frowning, though it was not Cloud's recovery that bothered him. _Then I suppose he and his companions will be coming to kill me. It should make things more entertaining._

You should be careful. The Cetra is recovering, and I believe she is discovering the full extent of her abilities.

I understand.

I'm not certain you do, Jenova persisted. _You don't comprehend the seriousness of the threat she poses. You have _never_ taken it seriously._

Because it is not serious, Sephiroth assured her. _But I will take care of it, Mother._

You'll kill her?

No, but she will no longer be a threat. Now, tell me what happened while I was asleep.

* * *

It was still dark when Cloud roused them. Yuffie glanced back at the town of Mideel in farewell before following the others into the shadowed forest. Cid led the way back to his airship without faltering. She wouldn't have trusted him to lead unless they were going back to the Highwind; he loved that airship like it was his kid or something.

She was sorry to leave the little town, but at the same time glad to be doing something. When you knew the world was threatening to come to an end, it was hard to pretend you didn't. She wanted to be doing something, and now that they were all back together again, it looked like they would be.

Yuffie was the last up the ladder onto the Highwind. The others had already gone ahead inside, but she stayed out on deck like usual. The few times she had ventured inside had been pretty awful, but at least out here she almost felt like she was getting used to this flying thing.

The airship had scarcely lifted off before something slammed into it. Yuffie hung onto the railing for dear life, and as her stomach lurched she quickly dismissed her previous thought. She'd never get used to flying.

When the Highwind and her stomach steadied, she released her strangle-hold on the railing to look around. "What the hell was that?" she wondered aloud, unable to see what they'd hit from her vantage point. She turned to go inside and find out.

Before she could reach the door, Barret burst through with Vincent and Reno following.

"What's going on?" Yuffie asked them, growing anxious as they drew weapons. Barret was already at the railing and shouting something that sounded like a challenge.

"One of the Weapons is attacking us," Reno explained.

"What?" she exclaimed in shock. "And we're going to fight it?"

He shot her a look. "You wanna just let it destroy the airship?"

Yuffie shook her head dumbly and stared as the huge monster came into sight from around the front of the Highwind. It looked armored in black steel, with wicked blades for teeth and claws and glowing rubies for eyes. "Why's it attacking _us_?"

"Damned if we know!" exclaimed Barret. "Jus' shut up an' fight!"

She wanted to ask why _she_ had to be fighting it, but she knew perfectly well why. The others relied on short-range weapons and would only be good for a handful of spells. She shook her head and reached for her shuriken. She couldn't be distracted by wishing someone else could fight this for her. Besides, she was Yuffie Kisaragi and she could beat the crap outta this thing!

She wished she believed herself.

The Weapon let out a screech of a cry and raked its claws across the deck, making them all leap backwards out of its reach. She saw immediately that this thing was all power, not speed. If they could just be quick, they might stand a chance. Yuffie could do quick.

But their attacks didn't seem to do any damage. Bullets bounced off of the Weapon's armor. The electricity from Reno's nightstick didn't faze it. Yuffie's shuriken barely scratched it. It was only a matter of time before one of them got careless, was an instant too late jumping out of the way, and got sliced in half by those bladed claws or crushed by the Weapon's powerful tail.

A huge red materia-like stone set in the Weapon's chest began to glow, and Yuffie knew they were in trouble. Who knew what kind of magic this thing could use? Vincent cast a barrier spell on the group and they braced themselves as a beam of blinding light slammed into them. Yuffie screamed. If the barrier spell had taken the brunt of this, then she felt she would have died without it.

She landed against the far railing and curled up in pain. She felt broken all over, the pain so overriding her senses that she couldn't detect her own movements.

"Fuck," she heard Reno curse from nearby.

Yuffie tried to grasp the railing and pull herself up, but she couldn't seem to focus enough to grip anything. Suddenly, though, the pain dimmed; someone must have cast a cure spell on her.

She pushed herself to her hands and knees. She still hurt all over and felt like she was going to puke, but she could bear it if she tried. And she couldn't afford to stay down any longer. The Weapon had only to fly around to the other side of the ship to reach her, and probably it could tear the ship apart any time it chose. Maybe they were lucky it had decided to take them up on their idiot challenge rather than ripping the Highwind to shreds, but this battle didn't match Yuffie's definition of 'lucky.'

Vincent pulled her the rest of the way to her feet, but didn't ask if she was all right. It would have been a stupid question, and those weren't Vinny's forte.

The Weapon had disappeared from the far side of the ship, but its head was just coming into view on the near side. She would have to keep on fighting, though she really just wanted to hide somewhere and let the others handle it. But what would they do without her, right?

The Weapon smashed through the railing on this side with one swipe of its claws, sending them scrambling to dodge the shattered pieces of wood. They were slower, their bodies sluggish to respond through the residual pain.

They didn't recover enough to attack before the monster gripped the side of the ship in its hind legs and stretched forward across the deck to snap at them with its terrible maw. Yuffie had barely recovered her balance, and she stumbled in trying to get away, sure for one terrible instant that some piece of her would disappear into that mouth before she felt Vincent yank her arm, pulling her out of the way.

Forget fighting it, there was no way they were even surviving longer than a few minutes. If its claws or teeth didn't find them, one more of those spells would finish them for sure.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Yuffie started at the voice, instinctively jumping farther back from the Weapon. The four of them backed up to the opposite side of the deck and could only glance at Aeris, keeping their eyes warily on the monster.

"Aeris, the hell're you doin'?" Barret demanded.

"Stop fighting it," she said, voice softer now that she had their attention, but no less firm. "You shouldn't be fighting it." She started towards the Weapon, but Reno darted over and caught her arm, pulling her back.

"Are you insane? It'll kill you."

Aeris shook her head. "No, it won't. It's a Weapon; the Planet made it. It won't touch me."

"If you're so sure of that, then why's it attacking us?"

"Because you're human, and it doesn't know any better. Now let me go."

"Don't be stupid, 'ris."

She jerked her arm free. "If you're so worried, then stay with me. Protect me if you will, but don't stop me."

Reno hesitated, but finally nodded.

Aeris walked forward until she stood within a few meters of the Weapon, without even a railing between them. Reno stopped a pace behind her. "Ultima," she said to the monster. "That's what they call you, right? Stop this. These are friends of mine, and we are all friends of the Planet. We mean to help. Please let us be."

The thing seemed to regard her speculatively, considering whether to believe her or kill them all anyway. At length it made a low growling noise, hopefully of consent, and turned away.

Aeris sighed and turned to Reno. She looked him over. "I should've come out sooner. I... couldn't hear the Planet, so I wasn't sure."

The redhead only shrugged, as if it were no big deal that they'd just gotten their asses handed to them.

"Wha-?" Barret cried. "You wasn't sure? The hell were you gettin' so close if you wasn't sure?"

"I had to do something," Aeris said, and Yuffie thought she detected something of the old Aeris in her tone, the Aeris who threw herself into things whole-heartedly and didn't second-guess.

"But... It coulda killed you!"

"Well, it didn't. No use arguing now. Let's get inside and I'll heal all of you. You look terrible."

The others turned to do as she suggested, but Yuffie's stomach was feeling iffy, and she was sure that given the slightest opportunity, it planned to start churning on her. "I think I'd rather stay out here," she said, returning to one of the few segments of railing still intact.

Aeris told the others to go on in and came over to her. "I can't do anything about your motion sickness, but I can at least heal your wounds."

"Thanks," Yuffie said as she felt the cool-warm sensation of Aeris's healing spell wash over her.

The Cetra turned to go back inside.

"Hey, Aeris," the ninja called out. When she had her friend's attention, she went on, "Looks like you're feeling a little better. I'm glad."

Aeris seemed surprised at first, but then she smiled just a little. "I guess so," she said, and went inside.

* * *

They arrived in North Corel in the early afternoon, and it was no different than Aeris remembered. The same cluster of tents lay huddled about the end of the old railroad tracks, the same tattered sign arched above them, proclaiming the town's name in faded letters. Shells of stone buildings aged the place, gave it an unspoken past. Hawkers with their meager wares had positioned themselves to be near the dingy sign pointing the way to Gold Saucer.

Aeris recalled Gold Saucer much less vividly now. The last time they had visited the theme park had been the night before going to the Temple of the Ancients, where everything had changed. That night, she had asked Cloud on the date he'd promised her back in Midgar, and that night, she'd actually thought herself falling in love with him. Those memories seemed so distant and unreal now, even though it had scarcely been more than two weeks since the date.

Was that all? How things had changed.

Cloud turned to look over the motley group, considering who to take with him. "Tifa, Cid, Barret- you're with me. The rest of you wait here."

"Right," said Reeve. "Call us if you need any help; we'll get there as fast as we can."

The blond nodded and set off down the tracks with the others following.

The rest of them looked around the disheveled little village and wondered if they really had to stay here for the day. It was a depressing place to be, and already they were anxious to leave.

"So," Reno began, "who wants to go to Gold Saucer with me?"

Reeve looked at him askance. "What? At a time like this?"

"What better time is there?" the redhead countered. "There's no point in thinking about how the world's gonna end all the time. We might as well have a little fun while we've got the chance."

"It just doesn't seem right..."

Yuffie looked around at everyone. "Well, _I_'m up for it."

"Nanaki, maybe you'd better go with them," Aeris suggested meaningfully.

He glanced up at her, and his gaze showed understanding.

Reno looked amused. "Worried, 'ris? You shouldn't be; I like my girls a little more shapely."

"Besides," Yuffie added, reaching up to smack Reno in the back of the head, "I can take care of myself."

The ex-Turk gave her a wry look, rubbing the back of his head, and then looked back at Aeris. "Girl makes a good point."

"I think I will go anyway," Nanaki decided.

Reno shrugged. "All right. I guess the rest of you are sticking around?"

Aeris, Reeve, and Vincent all nodded.

"Suit yourselves." With that, the redhead turned and headed for the ropeway leading up to Gold Saucer. Yuffie and Nanaki followed. Aeris sighed, watching their backs.

"She'll be all right," Reeve assured her. "Reno's not interested in sixteen-year-olds."

"I guess not," she conceded. She offered him a smile, and then turned to pick her way through the tents towards one of the crumbling stone buildings, the other two following. It wasn't much of an inn, but they'd still be able to get some rest. She and especially Vincent were in sore need of it, she was sure.

She spoke with the startled innkeeper, paid the small amount of gil, and laid down on one cot with little more than a glance at her companions. For a while, she just stared up at the cracked ceiling, thinking. If Sephiroth died and Shinra fell and the Planet lived on, how much difference would it really make in the world? In her own life? She'd only just started feeling like she knew what to do in the here and now, and imagining the future was a little beyond her. Maybe, for now, that was for the best.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Finally, Sephiroth comes back into the picture.

The Weapon attack is to provide a little action, and since the storyline here roughly mirrors the in-game plot, Ultima Weapon did attack them in Mideel. Of course, originally the scene began with one of those characters-deciding-to-have-a-conversation-to-clear-things-up moments between Aeris and Yuffie. But, as usual, it was mostly recapping things we already knew or stating more clearly things that were hinted at earlier. The only part of it that might have had some merit was Yuffie asking what was going on between Aeris and Reno, but you know what they say. Show, don't tell.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Cloud and the others returned in the evening with the Huge Materia, a rough chunk of crystal that spoke volumes of power with just a touch of the finger. Reeve went to retrieve the others from Gold Saucer, and they brought dinner back with them, as even Aeris and Tifa, used to the Midgar slums, were a little dubious of the food in North Corel. Lacking a table, they'd formed circles on the floor of the inn to eat. Yuffie and Nanaki alone seemed more comfortable that way.

"I see you cut the rest of your hair," Reno commented.

Aeris looked up at the remark, and raised a hand to finger the severed ends of her hair as if to confirm it. "Yes," she said. "It looked silly with just the front still long."

"Why'd you cut it anyway?" he wondered, and was about to add something else when Yuffie elbowed him sharply and shot him a glare. The redhead winced and gave her a confused look. "Am I not allowed to ask?"

"Sephiroth cut it," Aeris explained quietly before Yuffie could interject.

There was a brief silence, and then Reno shrugged. "Well, it's not a bad look for you, 'ris. I think it's sexy."

"In that case, I'll just have to grow it out again."

"You're cruel."

Aeris ignored him to return to her meal, but she couldn't help a small smile. It was nice, not to have Reno at least treating her like she was damaged and had to be handled with care.

Cloud came over to join them, but he didn't sit down. The four of them looked up at him, and he faltered, glancing uncertainly at Reno, Yuffie, and Nanaki before focusing his gaze on Aeris.

"Aeris, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked quietly.

She couldn't think what he might want, but it was probably important, and she nodded. "Of course."

He motioned for her to follow him outside, avoiding everyone's gaze now. She got to her feet and trailed after him as he led the way out of the disheveled inn and around back, where they were out of sight and out of hearing. There, he leaned back against the rock wall that ran alongside the inn, staring pensively down at his feet and saying nothing.

"What is it?" she asked, stopping near him and peering up at his face.

"I just wanted to ask you something," he said, voice still low.

Aeris drew back slightly. Something felt... off. "...go ahead. What is it?"

Cloud looked up to meet her gaze, and she knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. His eyes slid over her, taking in her body the way Sephiroth's had sometimes done. She took a step back.

"I just wanted to ask... if you enjoyed it."

"No," she answered quickly. "Damn you, leave Cloud out of this."

Cloud's voice took on a cool tone which Cloud had often tried for but never achieved. "Why? You know, I thought you might appreciate my attentions more if they were administered through this body. I've seen how you look at him. But the puppet is a bit dense, isn't he?"

"Let him go," she said, trying to keep her voice firm. "You don't need him for anything; you've summoned Meteor. And if you wanted me for something, you should have kept me. Release him!"

Cloud stepped away from the wall and grabbed her shoulders before she could run. "His body may not be as strong as mine, but it is still stronger than yours. I can force you if you're unwilling. You know it."

Aeris stared at him. "Let me go, Sephiroth," she pleaded. "Let us both go. This is too cruel."

He smirked. Gods, it was terrible seeing _his_ expressions on Cloud's face. Cloud could be callous, but he wasn't cruel. He did not leer. He did not threaten rape. He had hurt her, but he had never meant to.

She shut her eyes, trying to block it out and gain a moment to think.

He pulled her against him, holding her tightly and entirely too close. Cloud was much shorter than Sephiroth. His body felt different pressed against hers and his voice was different in her ear.

"A reminder then," he whispered, "before I go."

He caught her mouth roughly in his. Some instinct told her to kiss back-this was Cloud!-but she forced herself to struggle. This was _not_ Cloud.

He seemed to have no trouble pinning her arms and holding her still. She hadn't thought him _that_ strong. If he tried anything... If he really did try to... She _could_ use her magic against him. That was an option which she had not had with Sephiroth.

But after several moments, she felt his grip loosen and his kiss soften. Cloud drew back and looked at her in disorientation. "...Aeris?"

She sagged against him, relieved. "It's you," she managed.

He seemed unsure of what to do with his hands. "What..." He stopped, and she felt him tense. "What did I just-?" He pulled back from her, frantically searching her eyes. "Aeris, what did he do to you? What was he talking about?"

Aeris bit her lip, regretting it instantly when she found it swollen and tender. "Don't worry about it, Cloud. As long as you're all right now."

He shook his head. "No, I know what I... what Sephiroth made me do just now." He flushed, as she'd lost the decency to do. "What did he do to you before we found you? What was he talking about?"

Her heart missed a beat as she realized she couldn't get him to just drop this, and she searched her mind desperately for something terrible enough to fit Cloud's fears but not as terrible as the truth. "I... He... He touched me. And kissed me, once. For a moment, I thought he might... But he didn't. He didn't."

Concern lay plain on his face, and anger just beneath. She was sure he wanted simultaneously to comfort her and to rip Sephiroth's head off. "Aeris..."

She offered him a shaky smile. "Don't worry about it. He didn't, and I'm all right. Just... Please don't tell anyone about it. I didn't want anyone to know."

"But Aeris-"

"Please. They don't need to know."

He hesitated for a long moment, and then finally nodded. "All right. I won't."

"Thank you." She turned away from him, still working to calm herself. "Now let's get back to the inn."

Cloud looked around and cursed. "He could have had me do anything he wanted out here, and no one would've heard a thing."

Aeris glanced up at him pityingly. It was one thing to be weak. It was another thing entirely to have no control over your own body. "I wouldn't have let you," she told him. "If he hadn't let you go, I would have put up a fight. I just... I was hoping I wouldn't have to."

He regarded her uncertainly, as though evaluating whether or not she could have overpowered him. He didn't seem convinced. "Still, I..."

"It's not your fault."

"That's why it bothers me."

"I know," Aeris said. "Maybe if you stopped doubting yourself so much, it wouldn't be so easy for him."

Cloud didn't answer, and she could think of nothing else to say. They walked back in silence.

* * *

Aeris woke before her friends and slid out of bed, careful not to wake Reno. She walked barefoot outside and sat down by the door. The sun had not yet risen, but the sky was lightening behind the mountains to the east. How many mornings like this did they have left?

She longed to be able to talk to someone, really _talk_ to someone, without having to hide anything. She wanted to let go all these efforts to keep herself together, and let herself be weak, just for a moment. It was hard, having to be strong for her friends, having to reassure them, having to prove she didn't need their sympathy. It was lonely. She'd always been used to loneliness, but now more than ever, she wanted it gone.

But who could she possibly confide in? Her mother would have only sympathy, and that was the last thing Aeris wanted. She was sure it would only make her break down. The Planet wouldn't understand. And her friends? They might even pity her, and she doubted most of them would keep a secret like hers from each other. She was lucky she'd convinced Cloud to, and he didn't even know the full extent of it. If he had, it would have spread slowly amongst their group, one final addition to a long list of reasons to kill Sephiroth.

What about Reno? she wondered suddenly. He could certainly keep a secret, and though he might feel sympathy, it wasn't like him to show her any. He knew her better than the others. And yet... She didn't want to tell him. Part of her, she realized, was afraid it might change his opinion of her.

She went down her list of companions, considering and soon dismissing each. Cloud? No. Tifa? No. Reeve? Surely not. Nanaki? No; although he was wiser than most humans, he was nevertheless a child, and would not understand.

Finally she was left with... Vincent? He was practically a stranger, and beneath his silent facade lay tens of untold secrets. Aeris was sure another would disappear with them easily enough, and somehow she felt he might even understand. He would think no less of her, and she had no friendship with him that could be harmed anyway.

It was settled then, if she could work up the nerve for it.

Aeris gave a start as Tifa sat down beside her without a word of greeting. The Cetra eyed her friend uncertainly for a moment. "Good morning," she said, forcing a smile.

Tifa only frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Sephiroth isn't your only reason for staying with us, is he?" the brunette asked bitterly.

Aeris blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Please don't play dumb, Aeris. It doesn't suit you." Tifa's tone was harsh, and a sudden anxiety gripped her. What if she had seen...?

"But I really don't know what you-"

"Last night?" Tifa interrupted. "You don't remember?"

She had. "You... You saw that?"

"I did."

Aeris opened her mouth, but Tifa cut her off.

"I really shouldn't have anything against it, I know. It just... hurts, being sure. And I wish that you had told me. I mean, I'd suspected you felt something for him since we met, but you never acted on it. I always thought it was out of respect for me-stupid for me to think so, really. How long have you two been sneaking around? Or was that the first time?"

"Tifa-"

"It didn't look like the first time to me, but what do I know? I was never in love before Cloud. But, well... Good luck to the both of you, I guess. But don't tell him that I... Don't tell him. I don't want to hurt him." She started to get up. No doubt she had turned these words over and over in her mind the night before, carefully prepared them, and now that she had said them, it was done with.

"Tifa, wait. Let me explain."

"Explain what? You don't have to explain yourself, Aeris. If you love each other, there's nothing I can do about it."

"But we don't!" Aeris exclaimed in frustration.

"You don't? Then why were you-?"

"That wasn't Cloud, it was..." She knew without finishing the sentence that it wouldn't clear up anything, not without explaining fully.

Sure enough, Tifa was eyeing her skeptically. "If you mean... Sephiroth, then that doesn't make any sense. Why would Sephiroth kiss you?"

"He..." Aeris faltered again. _A reminder._ She dropped her gaze. "Never mind," she said softly.

"So it really was Cloud?"

She pressed her lips together and said nothing.

"I thought so. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And I'm not angry. Really. I just... It hurts. But I'll get over it, so don't worry about me. And Cloud really shouldn't worry about me. I don't think he knows, so that's good."

"Tifa..." Aeris began.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

Tifa hesitated. "Don't apologize," she said, then turned and went back inside.

Aeris stared after her. She wanted to cry, but doubted the tears would come. She could have explained everything to Tifa and undone this whole mess, but then Tifa would know. The same story she'd told Cloud wouldn't work with Tifa. She didn't want anyone to know, but to keep that secret, she'd broken her best friend's heart? For dignity's sake. Dignity!

Gods, was it really so hard to say those three words and be done with it? Three words. 'He raped me.' And whatever would come would come.

But she didn't want anyone to know. Was that so selfish of her? Aeris took a deep breath, let it out, and got to her feet. Surely this would all sort itself out somehow. For now, one thing at a time.

Aeris returned to the inn to find the others just beginning to wake. She tried to make herself invisible and went to gather her meager belongings. Both Cloud and Tifa avoided her gaze and each other's, each for different reasons. The others paid her no more mind than a nod or a good morning. Yuffie offered her a grin and an "Off we go again, huh?"

They left North Corel and boarded the airship with very few words exchanged. Everything had been decided the night before: they were headed for Fort Condor next. There was nothing to discuss.

She caught Vincent's attention as they were heading inside, and without a word, he hung back with her, letting the others disappear ahead of them onto the bridge. It wasn't until they had stepped aside to the Operations room that he spoke.

"What is it?"

"I just needed to talk to someone," Aeris answered, settling into one of the chairs before looking up to meet his gaze again. As expected, Vincent remained standing.

"And you chose me?" He actually sounded a little surprised.

"I... I can't talk to the others. I don't want them feeling sorry for me."

"You are seeking an indifferent ear."

"I guess I am," she admitted. "And... I know you won't tell the others, if I ask."

He nodded.

Aeris broke his gaze to stare at her feet. She wondered where she was supposed to start. She couldn't just blurt it out; he wouldn't understand that way. "Sephiroth... is a very confusing man," she began quietly. "Cloud talks about him as though the man he used to be and the man he is now are completely different. I don't think that's very true... He's not really mad, you know. What he is now was always there inside him. Nibelheim was just... the final straw."

She hesitated, and Vincent waited patiently. She couldn't tell what he made of her words, but somehow that didn't bother her. It was almost comforting in a way.

"Sometimes I thought that it wasn't too late to stop him, to change him, to 'bring him back to the good side,' or something storybook-ish like that. Other times he just seemed too cruel. He's trying, desperately, to prove something, and I think that's why he..."

She shook her head.

"It seems clear enough now that I acted stupidly. He said he wasn't going to kill me; he wanted to break me instead. Still, the Planet said he cared about me. So I kept on hoping. When we stayed a while at Holzoff's house..." Aeris stopped, realizing Vincent wouldn't know who Holzoff was. "That house near Gaea's Cliffs, I mean... When we stayed there, Sephiroth seemed almost... kind.

"But then he killed Holzoff, and at the top of the cliffs, he cut my hair and broke the White Materia, and in the crater, he... He..."

Her hands were clasped tightly, her knuckles white. "This is hard to say."

"Take your time," Vincent said softly.

She lowered her head further, kept her gaze locked on her hands, and felt glad for the hair that fell forward to hide her face. She took a steadying breath. She mouthed the words first, then finally managed to whisper, "He raped me."

Vincent said nothing, and she thought anxiously that he hadn't heard. She looked up slowly to find his usually neutral expression tinged with regret, and holding something like an apology. She quickly looked back at her hands.

"I will say nothing of this to the others," he said at last. "You have my word."

"Thank you."

There was a short, uncomfortable silence.

"I really don't know what to do anymore, Vincent," Aeris confessed. "I thought I was starting to figure things out, but when it comes down to it... I feel like a coward." She took another breath. "I was pregnant. I was going to be pregnant. But Hojo... he took it away from me. Gods and Planet both, I wouldn't have wanted the child, but..."

"Hojo cannot be allowed to raise it."

She nodded. "I don't think I'd have any reservations about killing Hojo. I don't care what made him the way he is. At least with Sephiroth, you can tell there's a person inside him somewhere."

"Lucrecia saw something in Hojo," Vincent said quietly, "although that does not make me hate him any less."

"Lucrecia...?"

"They were married," he explained sadly. "I doubt he wanted anything but to use her, but he was more subtle then. She saw something good in him, and of course they were both scientists, working on the Jenova Project under Professor Gast. I suppose he made more sense to her."

Aeris stared at him. He had spoken of Lucrecia before, when he'd joined them, but since then she hadn't heard Vincent breathe a word about his past. And now... "You don't mean... that Hojo is Sephiroth's...?"

"His father, yes."

"Gods..." She felt a stab of revulsion in Sephiroth's place. For that man to be _anyone_'s father... "And he doesn't know! He _hates_ Hojo, and if he found out... But no, he wouldn't believe it."

"One couldn't blame him."

"I tried to tell him, about Lucrecia, but even then he thought I was lying. I wonder what he really believes about where he came from."

Vincent hesitated. "Do you think... that he could still be persuaded to stop?"

Aeris looked at him in surprise. At first it struck her as strange that he would hope for such an end, but Sephiroth was Lucrecia's son, the son of the woman Vincent had loved. "I'm not so sure anymore," she said. "Persuaded? Probably not. I've tried with words, and they're not enough. It would take something incredible, because he thinks he's passed the point of no return."

"I see."

"I will try, Vincent. But I'm sure he'll just laugh."

He nodded.

Aeris pushed herself back up out of the chair. "Thank you for listening. I feel a little better now that I've told someone."

"You should tell the others eventually. Burdens like yours can only get heavier."

"Maybe once all this is over. Right now, I don't want to be reminded all the time of what happened, from how they'll look at me." She paused, and really looked at him. "You should think about taking your own advice. You've been carrying a lot around, when you've got a life you could be living. The Planet knows, I'm struggling now, but I'm not giving up."

Vincent nodded again, a little stiffly. "I... will try. And thank you, Aeris, for confiding in me."

She offered him a smile and left the room. She did feel better, having put some of her pent up feelings into words and gotten them out. Maybe now she could try to fix things with Cloud and Tifa. Maybe.

* * *

They arrived at Fort Condor too late to do anything but offer the people there their condolences and help pick up some of the pieces. Tarin, the old man in charge of the place, had given up the Huge Materia when the Shinra had fought past their hired mercenaries, and thankfully the soldiers had then left them alone.

"I guess that's it then," Yuffie was saying when they gathered later to figure things out. "The one we got'll still help though, right?"

"We're not through yet," Reno said. "There's still one more we might be able to snag."

Cloud frowned at him dubiously. "I thought you said they'd already gotten it from Nibelheim."

"I'm not talking about Nibelheim. I'm talking about Junon."

"Junon?" Aeris wondered.

Cloud shook his head. "Junon's a military base. They might as well have it already."

"Not exactly," Reno maintained. "The reactor's a little out of the way, and the way things're going with Weapon, my guess is that's the last one they'll want to transport."

"The hell's that mean?" Barret demanded.

"Scarlet's big cannon's been running off the stuff. They'll keep using it as long as they can to keep Weapon at bay."

"All right," Tifa said. "Suppose we do take it on. But where _is_ the reactor?"

Reno answered with a grin: "Underwater."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Originally I wrote out the mission to the Corel Reactor, but it didn't really move the plot along and didn't introduce anything interesting, so it got cut, and that brief summary was worked into the beginning of this chapter. Fort Condor also went differently, or rather, it went very much like in the game, but I wanted to speed things up a bit since while the characters felt these actions were necessary, they weren't central to the plot. Rather than just cutting the battle scene again and summarizing it afterwards, I decided to avoid the thing entirely and have them move on. So I guess the framing actions for the bulk of this chapter kind of got removed.

The rest hasn't changed too much. It's a really horrible thing to do to someone, but I confess the scene where Sephiroth possesses Cloud is among my favorites. And then it leads to so much delicious angst.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

They had been off the ship little more than an hour before they were back on it again, headed for Junon now. After Fort Condor, they were all a little anxious that this, too, might end up being a wasted trip, but no one brought it up. Aeris was sure they were glad for another day or so of something familiar. In the back of everyone's mind was the knowledge that after this, there was nothing left but facing Sephiroth, and she doubted the others were any more prepared for it than she was.

Soon after they were in the air, Aeris retreated to the ship's quarters, where she didn't expect to run into anyone. She'd wanted more time at Fort Condor, to be alone and speak with the Planet. It was difficult to hear it in the air. She guessed she was alone with her thoughts now.

_Aeris?_

It was faint, barely even a whisper, but unmistakably the Planet's voice. Could it really reach out to her, even here?

_Planet_, she answered after a moment's surprise. _It's good to hear your voice._

We have not talked in too long. I have been distracted.

I know. Their whispered conversation was carried out beneath the din of the Planet's terrified screams which even now did not lessen.

_You are wavering still_, the Planet observed. _Is there a way I can help?_

Aeris took a breath as though preparing to speak. _Can you tell me... anything about Sephiroth?_

Sephiroth?

Where is he? What is he doing? What is he thinking?

He is deep inside me. The wound you saw goes deeper than you know. He has come deep within and bound Holy so it cannot move. But I am sure that you will be able to stop him. You will make him understand.

You think I could still change his mind? Ask him to stop and get a response? Aeris doubted he would give up so easily. He was as stubborn as she was.

_Not easily. But you will. Somehow._ The Planet didn't sound desperate, but certain, even if it didn't seem to know how this would come to be. She wished it did, but its certainty alone was reassuring.

_Does he still care?_ she asked before she could stop herself.

_He does. The more he cares, the harder he tries to prove otherwise. You know this._

Aeris drew her legs up onto the bunk where she sat, wrapping her arms around her knees. _I know. It's just hard to understand, sometimes. It would be easier to hate him if it weren't like that._

Why do you want to hate him?

Because I don't want to feel anything when he dies.

What if he doesn't die?

Aeris shook her head. _I don't have your high hopes, Planet. I don't expect him to suddenly understand and give the whole thing up. Killing him seems like it might be the only way._

It isn't the only way, the Planet insisted, but it didn't sound so sure this time.

"There you are."

The door had opened without her noticing, and Reno stood there, his hand still on the knob.

"You were looking for me?" she asked.

"I'm worried you're spending too much time alone," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. It was a casual, natural motion, but it made her uneasy. "Thought I'd come check up on you."

"I just wanted to think."

"Well, you do a heck of a lot of thinking."

"I was talking to the Planet," she elaborated. Even though her abilities had never been a secret between them, it still felt strange to admit it so easily.

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"Not really."

At that, Reno took a seat on the bunk opposite her. "That's a relief."

Aeris looked back at him uncertainly. Everything about him was relaxed, and here she was tensing up because he'd shut the door. She'd been fine sharing a bed with this man for goodness' sake! But the others had been right there in the same room, and still... "You're being awfully nice," she remarked, "coming to check up on me."

"Just thought you might appreciate it," he said. "And anyway, it seemed like a good way to start a friendship."

"Start...?"

"You didn't consider us friends a couple days ago. You change your mind?"

"I don't know," Aeris sighed. "I could probably use a friend. You were right that the others don't know me so well. I didn't really let them see... _me_."

"So now that you're not being the cheerful flower girl anymore, they don't know how to react."

"Something like that."

Reno studied her, his expression sobering a little. "This's different, though. It's not about being alone 'cause you're an Ancient. You've never let that get to you this much. Now, I wasn't around when it happened, but if I had to guess, I'd say this had something to do with Sephiroth."

She didn't reply. She had the sinking feeling that he'd figure things out, whether she said anything or not.

"So what happened with him?" he went on, Mako eyes still regarding her carefully. "Did you think you could change his mind or something? He can't be reasoned with, a guy like that, but you were always optimistic about people."

He really did know her better than she thought. She broke his gaze, hanging her head.

"He must've done something pretty terrible to disillusion you. But you're not going to tell me what."

"No, I'm not," she said quietly.

Reno leaned forward to peer up into her face, his voice softening for just a moment. "If you ever need to talk, 'ris, I'll listen, and I won't say a godsdamned thing."

"I know." Aeris closed her eyes. "Why are you being so nice?"

"Because I like you, and after all this time, I figure I oughtta try showing it like an adult."

"This isn't going to win you anything."

"That's what _you_ think."

She met his gaze and smiled slightly. "Look who's being naive now."

"You'll come around eventually," he insisted, grinning.

"I guess we'll see," she conceded, however doubtfully. There was a very important difference between Reno and Sephiroth, she thought: Reno did not lie to himself. Both men were murderers; they had killed hundreds, and were capable of killing without a second thought.

But Reno was at least honest with himself, and he believed he could change. That was why he was with them now, wasn't it? Sephiroth was the one who stubbornly maintained he no longer had that choice. In his mind, there was no room for change. There was only one set and inevitable path before his feet, and he had to walk it. What was most infuriating, what frustrated her the most, was that he _knew_ he was wrong, but he didn't care enough to stop himself.

Aeris let out a breath and got to her feet. She couldn't waste any more time getting tangled up in these thoughts. She wasn't ready to talk to Reno, and she was just hiding from everyone, coming here. "How much longer till we reach Junon, do you think?"

Reno stood, joining her as she stepped out into the corridor. "Less than an hour," he guessed. "You gonna grace us with your presence on the bridge?"

"Yes. You're right, I have been spending too much time alone."

"Well, I'll be glad for the company. And the view. Strife glares if I stare at Tifa too much."

Aeris raised an eyebrow at him, some honest amusement entering her voice in spite of herself. "You don't think he'll have a problem with you staring at me?"

"I'm sure he will, but at least then it's legitimate. Tifa's easy on the eyes, but I'm not looking to date her."

"Well, if there _is_ someone you're looking to date, you might want to work on not staring at other girls."

"Oh, come on, how can you _not_ look? How many girls have those kind of curves?"

She couldn't help sighing at that. "You miss talking to Rude, don't you?"

"Your whole gang is really stiff, you know that?"

Aeris gave him a light shove to get him walking ahead of her. "Eyes out the windows when we're on the bridge. You can take in the actual scenery."

* * *

They assembled in Lower Junon, not far from the steps that led up to Priscilla's house. Cloud was thankful she didn't seem to have heard their arrival, or he might have had to deal with the girl. He looked around at his companions, wondering who was best suited for infiltrating Junon. Yuffie and Vincent had been here most recently, but he wasn't sure if that worked for or against them.

"Who's coming this time?" he asked, deciding to leave it up to everyone.

"Like it or not, I'm with you for sure, Strife," Reno said.

No, he didn't like it, but they needed the ex-Turk's help on this one.

"I will go also," Vincent announced quietly. Cloud could never figure out what made Vincent decide one way or another. Why did he want to go with them this time? Why had he chosen to go with them back in the Northern Crater? It didn't make any sense.

"I'm going, too," Aeris said.

"Why?" Cloud asked in his surprise. She was the last person he had expected to volunteer.

She met his gaze, and though her expression wasn't as hard as it sometimes was these days, he still couldn't figure out what she was thinking. "You could probably use a healer, couldn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess..." He wondered why she was really coming.

"That should do it," Reno decided. "We can't have too many of us sneaking around. The rest of you guys wait for us here, all right?" The redhead started for the elevator, and Cloud glared after him. Since when could _Reno_ play leader? Even if he was used to it from his Turk days, that was no excuse.

Cloud caught up to him, and Aeris and Vincent trailed after.

Before he could say anything, Reno glanced at him knowingly and said, "Just let me handle this one, Strife. I know the place a lot better than you do."

"Fine," he conceded grudgingly, "but don't get any ideas."

"You think I'd wanna be leader of _this_ bunch 24-7? Hell no. I'm not stupid."

"Thanks," Cloud said dryly.

Reno grinned. "No offense!" he said, but Cloud wasn't so sure about that. The redhead quickened his step a little to reach the guard first. "Hey, buddy, outta the way."

"But you're with _them_ now," the soldier protested.

"Cute. You think you can take on an ex-Turk?"

The man's expression was hidden by his mask, but he stepped aside hurriedly at that.

"Keep your mouth shut and maybe we won't have to kill you," Reno said casually as he punched the code for the elevator and stepped inside.

They came out in the barracks, and Reno led them down the hall to the left, pulling out his nightstick and holding it ready. They encountered a few soldiers in the halls, but the redhead took them out swiftly and quietly. Cloud glanced back only once; Vincent was bringing up the rear, and he'd notice anyone behind them.

Before long they reached a door leading out into the street. Reno immediately led them away from the main street, taking a maze of narrow alleyways until finally stopping above what looked to be a sewer manhole.

"This'll take us down into the main access tunnel, past the guards at the entrance," Reno explained. "But we've still gotta get down to the lower levels, and cross into the reactor. They'll be realizing we're here and sounding the alarm pretty soon."

"You mean we're losing the element of surprise," Cloud concluded, nonplussed.

"They'll be ready for us," he agreed, "but they won't have time to bring reinforcements from the base. We'll be all right."

"Will Rude find us?" Aeris asked quietly.

Reno glanced at her. "Maybe."

Cloud wondered why she had asked that way. But then, Aeris knew Reno better than the rest of them, well enough to worry about him. Reno and Rude _had_ seemed like friends. Cloud didn't expect that to get in the way if they had to fight Rude, but maybe Aeris knew better.

They made their way down into the access tunnel, and stole the few meters to another elevator without running into any guards. It was a long and silent ride down to the bottom. Once down, the doors opened onto a short hallway, which led to an unlit glass tunnel stretching ahead into darkness.

The alarms started blazing just as they set foot here, but Reno strode confidently on into the dark tunnel, and the others followed. It took Cloud a moment to realize that the tunnel ran along the sea bed, and above them was the pressure of the ocean.

After passing through a near complete darkness, they reached what must have been the reactor, though the layout was completely different from any reactor Cloud had been in.

Instead of taking the obvious route, Reno led them up into the air ducts. Cloud was none-too-pleased with the cramped space, but it wasn't like Avalanche had never used air ducts to sneak around. Once inside, Reno continued on with the same confidence in where he was going. Cloud had always thought the Turk well-suited to Midgar, but he seemed to know every last inch of Junon.

Finally they dropped back down out of the ducts, Reno whipping out his nightstick to attack a guard stationed beneath them. Cloud jumped down after him, drawing his sword and downing the second man. Aeris and Vincent joined them soon after and looked around. They were just inside a narrow hallway leading out onto a walkway.

Reno led them out across it, moving swiftly and keeping his nightstick at the ready. Below them, Cloud could see a machine similar to the one in the Corel reactor. Even as they passed by, a mechanical arm reached in through the smoke to pull out a chunk of red materia.

The redhead cursed.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"Looks like they're moving it sooner than I thought. We'd better hurry it up." That said, he broke into a run.

They tore across the walkway, around a bend, through a hall, and down a flight of metal stairs which opened into a submarine bay. Cloud could see the mechanical arm reaching the end of its track and lowering the Huge Materia into one of the submarines' cargo hold.

Directly in their path stood Rude, supervising the proceedings. He turned around at their approach.

"Hey, Rude," Reno greeted.

"Reno."

"Still doing Shinra's dirty work, huh?"

Rude didn't answer.

"You could join us, y'know," the redhead went on. "Strife here won't like it, but who gives a damn?"

Cloud frowned at that. Even if Reno hadn't once been his enemy, he doubted he could have ever liked the man.

Rude only shrugged and shook his head.

"Yeah, I know Shinra's trying to save the world, too, right now, but it's not gonna work," Reno said, somehow managing to interpret the gestures. He waited a moment. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way then." He raised his nightstick.

"I don't have time for this, Reno," Rude said, turning to sprint off towards the submarine.

"Godsdamnit!" the redhead cursed, starting after him, but he had to jump back when the arm of a machine swung towards him. The rest of the robot lumbered out to block their path entirely.

"That went well," Cloud commented, readying his sword.

"Shut up, Strife."

A bolt spell struck the machine as its long arm swung towards Reno again, briefly halting its motion. Cloud glanced back at Aeris before charging the thing. He dodged the machine's arms and managed to get behind it, eyes scanning for weaknesses. The joints looked vulnerable, and so he swung his heavy blade for one of the arms, feeling it connect. There was some give, as of wires snapping, and then the robot spun. Cloud jumped back out of the way.

The machine spasmed briefly as Reno struck it with his charged nightstick. Its arms jerked convulsively until it managed to swing again and knock the redhead away. Panels opened in its torso and bullets sprayed both ahead and behind it.

Cloud dropped to the floor and rolled towards the robot until he was too close to target. He crouched there, wincing; one had managed to hit him in his sword arm. He switched the blade to his left hand and waited for an opportunity to get away.

He was surprised when Aeris, protected by a shield spell and ducking the machine's clumsy arms, made her way over to him. She touched his arm to cast a healing spell on him, at the same time altering her shield spell to surround both of them. "Come on, get up," she said. "We can't use magic when you're so close to it."

"Sorry," he muttered, jumping to his feet and moving with her out of the range of the robot's arms. The spray of bullets ceased as the machine realized how useless Aeris's magic rendered it.

"You guys try to snag a sub," Reno instructed from the other side of the robot. "I'll finish this thing off."

Vincent vaulted over the thing to join Aeris and Cloud, striking the one weakened joint with his claw as he did so. The arm shuddered and fell limp. "Let's go," he said.

"You think Reno can handle it on his own?" Aeris asked, glancing back over her shoulder.

"I'll be fine!" he called after them.

"I wasn't asking you!" she yelled back.

"Where do you two know each other from?" Cloud had to ask as they made their way towards the one submarine still docked.

"The Turks were after me for years, you know."

Cloud couldn't understand how she could get to know an enemy that well, but he got the feeling she wouldn't elaborate, and dropped it. This wasn't the time anyway.

He sprinted ahead and up the gangway to the submarine. Some soldiers were there, but he overpowered them easily, and the others joined them at the sub's hatch.

Aeris paused to look back, and Cloud followed her gaze to watch Reno hop over the downed robot and run their way.

"Come on," Cloud said.

Aeris nodded and started down into the submarine. Cloud followed, and Vincent brought up the rear. The three went down a short, cramped hallway to the control room and paused there. Vincent looked around as if to familiarize himself with the controls and settled himself in one of the two seats. Reno joined them moments later and made straight for the remaining chair without a word.

"Are you all right?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"So what exactly are we doing now?" Cloud wondered as he felt the thrum of engines and the sub began to move.

"Going after Rude, of course," the redhead answered.

Cloud shook his head and leaned back against the wall, watching the incomprehensible readouts and trying not to let his motion sickness get the best of him. He'd grown used to the airship, but the sub was a new sensation, and it was hard to tell just what was going on, without any windows. Every now and then a warning noise would sound, sometimes followed by a violent shudder. The others remained silent, Vincent and Reno at the controls and Aeris peering over the redhead's shoulder at the displays, until finally Reno let out a triumphant whoop.

"All right, that's it!" A couple minutes later he got to his feet and headed out of the control room. "I'll be back in a few. Don't touch anything."

"So... what just happened?" Cloud asked of Vincent.

It was Aeris who answered. "We caught up with Rude's sub and disabled it. I think Reno's boarding it now."

"Alone?" Cloud asked, glancing off down the hallway.

Vincent met his gaze briefly, then got to his feet and disappeared after Reno.

"He should be all right with Vincent with him," Aeris decided.

"Two ex-Turks versus one Turk. I guess so."

"Reno and Rude are pretty evenly matched," the Cetra added.

Cloud looked back at her. "How do you know that?"

"They fought when we were escaping the Shinra building."

"Oh."

There followed a short silence.

"When we get back to Junon, we need to talk," Aeris said quietly.

Cloud wasn't sure what to make of that. "About what?"

"I'll tell you then. Now's not the time."

"All right..."

She didn't elaborate, and he didn't press her. They waited in silence until Reno and Vincent returned with Rude in tow. All three of them looked a little battered, but Rude was worse off than the other two.

"It's for your own good," Reno was telling him. "You'll thank me later."

"Did you get the Huge Materia?" Cloud asked.

Vincent handed him the rough chunk of red stone, the same color as summon materia. Holding it in his hands, Cloud felt that this could be far more powerful than the materia they had obtained from Corel, if entrusted to the right person.

"So we have a prisoner now?" Aeris wondered, peering up into Rude's face.

"That's right," Reno answered.

"What do you plan to do with him?" Cloud asked, eyeing the Turk skeptically. They had never taken prisoners before, and he didn't see a good reason for them to start. He didn't like the idea of having to keep guard on another Turk.

"Shinra loses a real asset this way," the redhead explained, "though I'm hoping he'll come to his senses and give us a hand."

"Doubtful," Rude commented.

"What can I say? I'm an optimist."

Aeris shook her head, smiling slightly as though he had said something funny.

"Watch him, Strife, will you?" Reno said, handing the Turk over to him and returning to the controls.

"Wasn't there anyone else on the sub?" Aeris asked.

"Nobody important," the redhead replied. "They can wait for Shinra to send a rescue crew or something."

The trip back was uneventful. Reno brought the submarine up outside of Junon, and they walked the half-mile or so back to the lower city where their companions were waiting.

"Don't tell me we've picked up another fucking Turk," Cid said when they arrived.

"Apparently he's our prisoner now," Cloud told him with a glance at Reno. He doubted they'd get anything useful out of Rude.

"Huh," Yuffie remarked. "That's weird."

Reeve looked amused. "Well, Rude, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I think that applies here."

Barret snorted. "He ain't joinin' us."

"He just needs a little convincing," Reno insisted.

"So now what?" Tifa asked. "If we've got all the Huge Materia now..."

"...then all that's left is finding a way to destroy Sephiroth's barrier," Aeris finished.

"Easier said than done," Cloud stated.

"Has Rufus thought anything up yet?" Reno asked of Rude.

"You're askin' _him_?" Cid said, incredulous.

But after a moment, Rude did speak up. "He's planning to use the Sister Ray."

"They're moving it from Junon? But what about Weapon?"

"They killed it," Aeris stated, and there was a faint accusation in her voice. "Today."

"Oh."

"They're moving it," Rude confirmed. "Probably today."

"So all we have to do is wait," Reno concluded.

Nanaki spoke up, his tone skeptical. "Do you think that it will work?"

The redhead shrugged and glanced at Aeris.

"I can't be sure," she admitted, "but I think it has a chance. Anyway, I haven't thought of a way we could do it on our own yet."

"Well, if it doesn't work, then we'll really have to wrack our brains," Reno said.

"In the meantime, we should find somewhere to stay," Vincent suggested.

"_Where_?" Cid wondered.

"We could probably get a couple rooms in a hotel in the upper city," Reno reasoned.

"With the Shinra so close by?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah, sure. With everything else they've got on their hands, they're not gonna waste time looking for us, especially somewhere they don't expect us to be."

"I guess."

"Well, let's go then," Cloud decided, heading for the elevator in the lead this time. It looked like they might actually get a decent break before the final battle. It was well-deserved, he just hoped waiting for Shinra wouldn't cost them anything.

* * *

After securing a place to stay, most of the others decided to go out into the city in search of dinner. Vincent and Cait Sith remained to guard Rude, and Cloud hung back with Aeris on the understanding that she needed to talk to him. The others were in the adjoining room, assuring them privacy if they spoke low, but providing Aeris some sense of safety, after what had happened in North Corel.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Cloud asked her, taking up a spot near the door as though anxious to leave himself.

"It's about Tifa," she said. "You've... noticed how she's acting, right?"

Cloud looked briefly sheepish. "So it's not just me. You know what she's mad about?"

Aeris sat down on the edge of one of the beds. "She saw."

"She saw? When Sephiroth made me...?"

"Yes."

Cloud frowned. "And she's upset about it?"

Was he really so dense that he couldn't figure it out? "Tifa," she said slowly, for emphasis, "saw us kiss. Of course she's upset."

"If she thinks we're... together," he said carefully, "then she's probably mad we didn't tell her."

"I don't think that's all," Aeris pushed, hoping she wouldn't have to spell it out for him.

Cloud looked at her, and then shook his head. "No way. Tifa would never... I'm not good enough for her."

At that Aeris smiled a little. "Well, you're pretty slow, all right. But I think she disagrees."

With his slow acceptance of this, she could see panic rising in him. "Wait a second. If she really... _does_, and she saw us kiss, then... I can't just let her go on thinking that."

"So go to her. Talk to her."

"How can I explain without telling her what really happened?"

Aeris's smile faded and she pressed her lips together. "Tell her the truth if that's what she needs to hear," she said finally. "I don't mind. Just so long as you make her happy."

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know."

"I don't," she said. "But not if it means hurting you two. I just couldn't manage to tell her myself."

Cloud nodded. "All right. Then, I'll clear things up."

"And you'll tell her, right?"

"Huh?"

"About how you feel."

He actually paled at the thought and shook his head again. "I can't."

"And why not?"

"She'd kill me," he said with conviction. "She'd say, 'Cloud Strife, you're such a jerk.' And then she'd kill me."

Aeris was surprised at having to bite back a laugh. "She won't kill you, Cloud. You may get a black eye, but I think you'll live."

"But..."

"You need to tell her," she insisted. "It'll be good for you both, to have that."

Cloud hesitated, but finally gave a shaky nod. "I'll try. Thanks, Aeris."

She smiled, walked to the door, and pulled it open. "Why don't you see if you can find her? She can't have gone far."

"What, now?" he asked, blanching.

"Yes, now. Before you wind up thinking about it too much and talk yourself out of it."

"But-"

"No buts," Aeris interrupted, pushing him towards the door. "You've got to go set everything straight."

At last he gave in and stepped out into the hall of his own accord. "Wish me luck?"

"Good luck!" she called with all the cheerfulness she could muster, and watched him hurry down the hallway.

It was too bad, Aeris thought, that he was Tifa's. She could almost love him. Almost. And she was sure that something like that would have given her strength enough to get through this, without so many of the doubts she had now.

She lingered in the doorway, letting several minutes pass to ensure she wouldn't run into him when she left. Then she slipped out of the hotel on her own. She wasn't hungry, and the city reminded her too much of Midgar, but anything was better than waiting alone in a hotel room with nothing to do but think.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The first scene originally took place at Fort Condor following the battle, but naturally that whole timeline got changed. The little exchange at the end was added during the rewrite for your amusement. The rest of the chapter is more or less unchanged. I confess the only reason Vincent went along this time is because I like him. Oops. But we can pretend he has mysterious motives of his own.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

There weren't many people in the streets. Maybe the mood of the city, with the red Meteor visible in the sky and the recent Weapon attacks, kept most of them inside, where they couldn't see the sky or the soldiers rushing for the harbor.

Cloud was grateful for it. He wouldn't have spotted Tifa otherwise.

She was barely two blocks from the hotel and walking unhurriedly, so he caught up with her easily and matched her pace. Her eyes flicked sideways to notice him, but she said nothing.

"Hi," he said awkwardly.

"Hello, Cloud," she replied, her tone cool and uninviting.

"Tifa, I need to talk to you."

"I'm listening."

"No, I mean... Can't we go somewhere more private?"

She glanced at him. "There's no one around. What exactly do we need to talk about that you need more privacy?"

Cloud hesitated. "We need to talk about... us."

Tifa's pace slowed to a stop, and for a long moment she just looked at him. "What kind of 'us' are you talking about? You and Aeris are-"

"We're not," he interrupted. "We're just friends."

"If you're just friends, then why were you kissing her?"

"That's..." He faltered, not sure exactly how to begin.

Tifa shook her head and spoke before he could continue. "No. Don't make up some excuse. I don't see why you need to prove anything to me anyway."

"What...?"

She was no longer looking at him, but instead somewhere over his shoulder. "If you and Aeris are together now, that's fine. If you're not, that's fine, too. Why should I care?"

"But Aeris said that you..."

"That I what?"

Cloud looked at her carefully, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. Finally he glanced off elsewhere. Was Aeris wrong? "Never mind. I just want to explain it to you, because I don't want you thinking the wrong thing. What happened was... Sephiroth did that... thing again, and that's why I was kissing Aeris. I didn't mean to, and I'm not... in love with her." Inwardly, he cursed himself for stumbling over the phrase. If he couldn't even say the word right when he was denying it, how the hell was he supposed to tell Tifa how he felt about her?

"Aeris tried to tell me that, too, that it was Sephiroth," Tifa said slowly, regarding him cautiously. "But why would he want to kiss her?"

He frowned, and couldn't meet her gaze for a moment. "It wasn't a pleasant kiss, Tifa, and apparently he's done it before. Aeris said he touched her once, but he didn't... rape her." The word was hard to say. "It was like he was mocking her."

"Oh, gods," Tifa breathed, her cool manner finally crumbling in the face of this news. "Do you think she was telling the truth?"

Cloud nodded. "I think so. She made me promise not to tell anyone."

"So that's why she couldn't explain... But aren't you breaking your promise now?"

He shook his head. "She said it was all right. She didn't want you getting the wrong idea."

"Oh."

"So... You're not mad anymore, right?"

She smiled, just a little bit. "No, I'm not mad. I'd just been thinking... my best friend would've told me, if he'd gotten together with someone."

"Yeah."

"How 'bout I make it up to you?" she suggested. "Dinner's on me."

Cloud hesitated. He almost let himself go with it, just slip back into their usual, comfortable routine. He'd cleared things up already. Did he really want to risk their friendship again by confessing a feeling he wasn't so sure she shared? When Aeris had said Tifa cared about him, he'd believed it, but now she wasn't giving away anything. Maybe she really had been upset just because neither of them had said anything to her.

Tifa's smile faltered. "Cloud?"

He didn't want to be a coward. He didn't think he was good enough for her, but that didn't matter. He realized Tifa wouldn't think that way. And, he realized, she'd always stuck with him, through everything. Even when they'd thought he might only be some failed clone, she'd said that was all right, she'd still tried to support him. Even if her feelings didn't go beyond friendship, didn't he at least owe it to her to be honest?

"There's... something else I wanted to talk to you about," he said finally.

By now she looked concerned, probably thinking it was some sort of bad news. He hoped it wasn't. "All right."

"Actually, it's just something I need to tell you."

Tifa nodded slowly.

_Quit stalling!_ he snapped at himself. He took a breath. "I love you."

Her eyes went wide, her mouth opening even before any words came out. "You... what?"

He couldn't tell if that was a good reaction or not, and he shuffled uncomfortably, glancing down. "You heard me."

"Yes, but I want you to say it again." This time, there was something like laughter in her voice, and he felt his chest grow tight with anticipation.

"I... I love you," he repeated.

"Oh, Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

Startled, it took him a moment to realize that he was supposed to return the embrace. Did this mean she...?

"Oh, Cloud, you stupid jerk, do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for that? For anything?" Her arms tightened around him.

"So you...?"

"Yes! I love you! And I'm sorry I've been so difficult about it. But I could never tell, and then I saw you and Aeris, and even now, when it really seemed like you might... I couldn't believe it, because haven't you always paid more attention to Aeris and been more worried about her and wasn't she the one you went out with that night at Gold Saucer?"

"Sorry," he apologized, all the while grinning like a fool and unable to stop himself. "You always made me nervous. I thought if I talked with you too much, I'd let it slip, and I didn't think you... Well, I mean, how could _you_ possibly fall for someone like me? I don't deserve you."

"Of course you do, you idiot."

"Tifa," he had to ask, "are you sure this isn't a dream?"

She pinched him, hard, and he stifled a yelp. "Yes, I'm sure." She pulled back, and he could see she was grinning just as broadly, her eyes shining. Looking up at him, her expression turned almost bashful as she suggested, "Maybe now would be a good time to go somewhere more private."

Cloud stared at her, the thought overwhelming him. He'd never imagined this would ever be reality. "U-um..."

Tifa laughed, took his arm, and pulled him with her down the street before he could formulate a coherent reply.

* * *

Aeris wandered the city aimlessly, letting her feet carry her where they would while her thoughts travelled their own path. The end of all this was drawing close. They needed only to wait for Shinra to break the barrier, and then they would go back to the Northern Crater, where Sephiroth was waiting for them. They would fight him, this time, and it would be a harder battle than any they had fought. Still, Aeris felt confident they would defeat him somehow. They had to.

Because if they didn't, everything was lost. Sephiroth wouldn't kill her; he would keep her alive to see the destruction of everything she held dear. And if that happened, she would have to force herself to carry on, because if she even tried to kill herself, it would make his victory complete.

She tore her thoughts away from that dreaded possibility. No, they _would_ defeat him. If he wouldn't kill her, she could use that to her advantage. And no matter what he did to her friends, she would fight him with all her strength.

And then, once it was all over, once Sephiroth was dead and Meteor destroyed... What then? What would she do? What would any of them do? No, that was the wrong question. Everyone but her had somewhere or someone to go back to. But she couldn't go back to Midgar, and she couldn't go running back to her mother. She hadn't had much before this journey began, really hadn't had anything since she'd lost Zack, and though her friends were wonderful people, she knew they would probably all part ways after this was over, leaving her with nothing to hold on to.

Except...

There was something for her, wasn't there? Back in the Shinra building, in Hojo's lab, a child she hadn't wanted. She couldn't let him keep it, but she did not want it. And yet, she knew she could never bring herself to kill it. It was Sephiroth's child, yes, but that was no fault of its own, and she knew that if it was brought up like a person, brought up to know love, then it would be nothing like him. And that really only left her with one option.

She had to take it back.

And she had to do it now, while Shinra still had its hands full. For that, she would have to tell someone. She couldn't do this alone.

Aeris turned on her heel and headed back for the hotel, her pace quick. She didn't know where to find Reno, but he'd come back there eventually. She wanted his help. Vincent was too detached and logical. He would tell her that now was not the time, that if she left, Cloud and the others would worry, that there would be time enough later. Reno would understand that she had to do this now.

She found the rooms empty, save for Vincent and Cait Sith standing guard over Rude.

"Oh, good," Cait Sith said when he saw her. "When Reno gets back, can you two watch him?"

"Sure," Aeris said without hesitation, though she felt confused at her good luck. What were these two going out for?

"Yuffie wants Vincent to join us," the cat explained, "but we couldn't very well leave Rude here by himself."

"Oh." She sat down on one of the beds to wait. This was working out well, but she didn't have as much time to think of how she was going to explain it as she'd thought.

Another ten minutes passed before Reno came back. Vincent left with Cait Sith almost immediately, leaving Aeris alone with the two Turks. It was funny how, a month ago, this would have been the worst possible situation for her.

Reno pulled a chair around and sat down facing Rude. "Changed your mind yet?" he asked.

Rude said nothing.

"As soon as the barrier's down, we're gonna go fight Sephiroth. We could use your help."

"And Meteor?"

Reno glanced over at her. "Aeris summoned Holy to counter it, so once we take out Sephiroth, that's it." When his friend did not reply, he sighed. "Just think about it, okay?"

Aeris let a few minutes pass before she spoke. "Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

He hesitated at the tone of her voice. "What is it?"

"I need to go back to Midgar."

"What? Why?"

"Professor Hojo has something of mine, and I want it back."

Reno regarded her carefully. "What exactly does he have?"

She looked down at her hands. Should she explain? Or should she just say it and let him put two and two together? She glanced at Rude. Did she care if he knew, this near-stranger even more inscrutable than Vincent? She clasped her hands together. "A child," she said finally. "My child."

Reno's eyes widened. "Shit," he cursed. "Sephiroth, he...? That bastard. That godsdamned bastard."

Aeris closed her eyes. "Reno, please."

"But I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes, but..."

"You're still hoping he'll change his mind, aren't you?" he asked incredulously. "Gods, Aeris, only you. Anyone else would've damned him to hell for doing that."

She looked up at him and shook her head. "I can't hate him, Reno. I understand him too well. I just... It makes me so angry that he thinks he doesn't have a choice any longer."

"Maybe he really doesn't."

"He does," she said. "You don't know him. I tried to show him, and I know I almost got through to him, but he wouldn't let himself believe it. That's why... But I'm not wrong, and maybe he'll see that before the end."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll kill him."

Reno was silent for a moment. He glanced at Rude, who sat listening silently and without expression, then returned his gaze to Aeris. "What are you going to do with the baby?"

"I want Hojo to put it back inside of me."

"Why? You can't seriously want to have Sephiroth's kid."

"I just... can't bring myself to kill it."

"But 'ris, you're going to have it because you were raped. Are you going to tell it that when it grows up?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But I'll have time enough to think of an answer."

He frowned, clearly not liking her decision, but fully aware he couldn't talk her out of it. "Have you told anyone else?"

"Vincent knows what happened," she admitted, "but I don't think he'll help me."

"Hard to say," Reno said. "Midgar, huh? That's gonna be tough."

"I know. I don't care how you do it, just get me there. I need it back."

The redhead turned to his friend. "What do you say, Rude?"

"I'm in."

Reno grinned and crouched to unbind Rude's hands. "I knew you'd change your mind."

"Just this time, Reno."

"Yeah, I know. But this's important, so I'm glad you're on my side." The two of them stood and Reno turned to Aeris. "You're in luck, 'ris. This means Rude can get us some transportation."

She managed a smile of gratitude. "Thank you, both of you. But, what should we do about the others...?"

"Leave a note. They'll be worried either way, but you can at least try to let them know we didn't kidnap you. I bet Strife'll come anyway."

Aeris got up to rifle through the drawers of the closest night stand, producing a pad of paper and pen. "I wish I could let Vincent know what's going on. Maybe he could calm them down."

Reno didn't answer right away, but came closer, peering over her shoulder as she scribbled the note. "You trust Yuffie to keep her mouth shut?"

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure she's the only one of your friends who speaks Wutain."

It took Aeris a moment to understand. Reno had never mentioned knowing the language. "Ask her... to tell Vincent we're going to see Hojo, without letting the others know. Ask them to delay Cloud from coming after us if they can. Can you do that?"

Reno nodded and bent to write the message under hers. When he straightened, he met her gaze for an instant before striding for the door. "Let's get going. We need to be quick about this."

Aeris nodded her agreement and followed the two Turks out the door. In the hall, Rude turned the other way. "Wait on the roof. I'll pick you up."

"Right." Reno headed for the stairs, and Aeris went after, glancing over her shoulder to watch Rude leave the building.

"Can we trust him?" she asked as Reno pushed open the door to the stairwell.

"Maybe you can't tell, but he really wants to help. None of us like Hojo, and with what happened to you..."

"He pities me," she concluded.

"No, that's not it. He just figures you deserve better, and if you want the baby back, then he'll help you get it."

"And what do you think?"

"Me?" He sounded surprised, as if she should have guessed already. "'ris, you're being way too soft on Sephiroth. I can't wait till we fight him. He's gonna suffer."

"Let me talk to him first. I know you don't think he can be persuaded, but I have to try."

"I don't understand how you can, after all he's done."

"You're no saint yourself, Reno," she reminded him.

"At least I've never raped anyone," he replied. "There are some lines even I won't cross."

"That's true," she said quietly.

He glanced back at her. "...you really fell for him, didn't you, Aeris?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't love him. Maybe if the circumstances had been different... But I do care about him, and I hate myself for that. I shouldn't give a damn about him."

Reno offered her a smile, slight but more genuine than most she'd seen from him. "Don't hate yourself for that, 'ris. Compassion's a virtue, right?"

"But Sephiroth doesn't deserve it."

"Hey, neither do I."

Her expression softened. "Don't be silly, Reno. You're on our side now."

In contrast, he sobered again and looked ahead. "So if Sephiroth really did decide to give up his quest for godhood, would you forgive him for everything? Would he deserve it then?"

"That's a good question," Aeris murmured. "I don't really know. It's what I'm hoping for, but if he does change his mind before it's too late, if he does let himself care, I don't know what I'd do."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The Cloud/Tifa scene I fixed up a bit since when I originally wrote it I still didn't have the best grasp on Cloud's character. By now they're probably my favorite FF7 couple. It's still a little off, but much better than it used to be.

And then Aeris has to derail the route from the game again by deciding to go back to Midgar. Oops.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Rude landed the helicopter atop the Shinra building, and Aeris let Reno help her out onto the roof. From up here, she could see Midgar stretching out below them with its countless city lights under the greenish haze rising from the reactors. The sky above was overcast as usual, though she thought she could make out a faint reddish glow behind the curtain of clouds.

"Come on, 'ris."

She glanced back at Reno, and then followed him down a ladder to the balcony outside what had been President Shinra's office, Rude silently bringing up the rear. They entered to find the huge room empty, and continued on down the grand staircase. Aeris could still make out faint traces of red in the carpet and between the tiles, where the bloodstains had been washed away without complete success.

From there the elevator took them down to the 67th floor, and Reno got off, motioning for Aeris to come with him. Rude remained on the elevator, the door closed, and the car dropped. Aeris frowned, but guessed that maybe this was as far as the silent man was willing to go.

Reno took her onward to Hojo's laboratory, making certain she stayed close. Once inside, he turned to the keypad and locked the door.

Hojo was coming down the steps from his computer station when they entered, and he didn't notice them until he reached the bottom. "What are you doing here?" he asked, appearing more vexed by Reno's presence than surprised to find either of them there.

"You have something of mine," Aeris stated. "I want it back."

"What?" he said, looking genuinely puzzled for a moment. "Oh. That. I thought I told you that I would rather have someone expendable carry it."

"You did," she replied. "I don't care. I want you to put it back where it belongs."

Hojo shook his head in mild astonishment and walked closer to her. "Surely you understand that Cetra do not respond well to Jenova cells."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Two thousand years ago, when Jenova first came to this planet, it nearly wiped out the Cetra. Its mere presence drove them mad. Didn't your mother tell you?" He paused, and when she gave no reply, he continued. "Now, I don't know what carrying a child with Jenova's cells would do to you, but I certainly don't want to risk losing two very important specimens."

Aeris held her ground. She had made up her mind, and she wasn't backing out of it now. "Sephiroth is far more human than alien. I think I'll be fine. Now give it back to me."

"And why should I?"

"Because you've got two Turks in your lab," Reno told him, "and if you're not gonna cooperate, we might as well kill you."

"Two?" Hojo repeated. He followed the redhead's gaze to Rude, who had come to stand only a few paces behind him. He hesitated.

"Just give it up and give her what she wants. Nobody's coming to save your sorry ass."

"Your ways are so crude," the scientist muttered. "Fine. I'll give her back the child."

"Do anything else to her, and we'll make you wish you were never born."

Hojo arched one eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Turk's basic training," Reno replied, making a slight gesture with his nightstick. "You'd better believe it."

"Indeed." The scientist's voice was steady, but his eyes belied a distinct uneasiness. He motioned with one hand. "Well, come on then."

Aeris gritted her teeth and followed the loathsome man to his operation table. Anxiety rose in her as she lay down, but she smothered it and did not let it show in her motions. Reno and Rude were there. They would keep her safe from the Professor. She'd be fine.

Even so, she slipped a hand inside her coat to finger the pieces of the White Materia, as if the broken talisman could still protect her.

* * *

Yuffie sat cross-legged near the big window on the bridge, watching Midgar as it grew closer. She hadn't felt like being alone out on deck, so she'd decided to join the others. She was getting better at handling this stupid airship, and she didn't want Cloud deciding who was going with when she wasn't around. She wanted to go this time-to make sure Aeris was okay, to find out what she needed from Hojo, and to see if Reno was really serious about that last part he'd written.

案ずるな。エアリスを愛してるから、俺が守る。 _Don't worry. I love Aeris, so I'll protect her._ Yeah, it was obvious that he cared about her, but to go so far as to say he _loved_ her was something else. Yuffie hadn't mentioned it to Vincent.

At least things seemed to have cleared up between Cloud and Tifa, she reflected. They'd stopped avoiding each other's gaze, and at the moment they were actually standing pretty close together. Definitely a step in the right direction.

They were drawing close, and she could see Midgar much more clearly now. Junon's big cannon (she thought it was called the 'Sister Ray' or something stupid like that) had been fixed to the front of the Shinra building, and huge wires snaked from the remaining reactors to the cannon. It looked like it was charging up.

"Let's hope it works," Tifa said quietly.

Yuffie wasn't terribly enthusiastic about relying on Shinra to destroy Sephiroth's barrier for them, especially when it seemed to take so much energy from the reactors, and so from the Planet. But they didn't really have any other options. Their own spells couldn't break it (which didn't provide much encouragement about the upcoming battle), and it wouldn't just go away.

"What's the plan once we get there?" she asked, not liking the rising tension on the bridge. Everyone was worried about Aeris and anxious that Shinra's plan wouldn't work at all.

Cloud turned to her. "Go find Aeris," he replied, stating the obvious.

"Well, _yeah_, but how are we gonna do that?"

"You know where they are, don't you?"

Yuffie glared at him in exasperation, but Cid seemed to understand what she was getting at. "I'll bring the Highwind over the Shinra building an' drop you guys off."

"Who's going?" Tifa wondered.

"I'm going for sure!" Yuffie announced immediately.

"I shall go also," Vincent stated much more calmly. The ninja glanced at him. She knew he had a huge grudge against Hojo. Was he hoping they'd run into the scientist? Or was he going because he was the only one of them who actually knew what was going on? Maybe both.

"I guess I'll go, too," Tifa decided.

Cloud nodded and turned his attention back to the cannon.

Yuffie followed his gaze, and stood to get a better look as the cannon came to life with a deep hum. Blackouts spread across the city and three shots fired in quick succession. The bolts of energy streaked away northward to disappear beyond the horizon. After a few moments, a faint glow illuminated the northern sky and then quickly faded.

"Think that did it?" Barret wondered aloud.

"I hope so," Tifa said.

"Maybe Aeris will know," Cloud said. "We'll ask her when we have her back."

No one spoke while Cid brought the ship closer to the Shinra building. When they came to a stop over it, Yuffie followed Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent out to the deck, from where they climbed down to the roof. There was a helicopter there, and she noted it as a possible method of escape. Reno and Rude had to know how to fly it; Turks were supposed to be multi-talented like that.

"All right, lead the way," Cloud said to Vincent.

The ex-Turk nodded and led them swiftly down to the 70th floor. The office there was huge and empty, but the scene that greeted them at the bottom of the grand staircase was decidedly different. There were at least ten SOLDIERs there, most of them First Class, several roboguards, and dozens of regular soldiers. Most of them had their eyes trained on the elevator doors, but several shouted in alarm when they saw the intruders.

"This does _not_ look fun," Yuffie said under her breath. She let her shuriken fly as the first of the men came charging towards them. Vincent cast barrier spells on the group and fired off several shots before the soldiers closed on them. Cloud and Tifa both ran forward into the fray, the blond with his huge sword and the brunette with her powerful fists.

Yuffie stuck close to Vincent, figuring it wouldn't be very smart to fight a SOLDIER or a roboguard by herself. She knew she was good, but she wasn't _that_ good. And it took only a few minutes before they found themselves facing three SOLDIERs, all three First Class.

"Shit," the ninja cursed.

"You can run if you want," Vincent suggested tonelessly.

"Nah, I'll stick with you." She doubted he could take them all by himself without transforming, and she knew he hated doing that. She hated it, too; the few times she'd seen it, it'd been pretty damn terrifying.

One of the SOLDIERs swung his sword towards her, and her thoughts snapped back to the battle at hand as she leapt out of the way. With a blade like that, he could deflect her shuriken easily enough, so she kept on dodging his attacks, waiting for an opening. She grinned when she found one and struck quickly, slicing the blades of her shuriken into his thigh. He only grunted in pain, and hesitated scarcely a moment before bringing his sword up to attack her.

She jumped back, the blade missing her by a hair. He had just started to cast a cure spell on himself, so she quickly hit him with a bolt spell and darted around to attack him from behind. He staggered forward, catching himself on his sword, but not regaining enough balance to turn and face her in time. Yuffie drove one of her knives into his side, and he went down with a sharp cry of pain.

"Ha ha!" Yuffie laughed in triumph, but a blade slicing into her back cut her victory short. She fell with a scream onto the man she'd just downed, mentally cursing herself for not paying attention to the two guys fighting Vincent. She struggled to push herself back up before the man could attack again.

The pain subsided suddenly, and she heard Vincent say, "Get up."

She stumbled to her feet, finding him standing between her and the two remaining SOLDIERs. His flesh arm was limp, blood running down it from some wound in his shoulder, and his gun lay on the ground a few paces away.

"Thanks, Vinny," she murmured, moving to stand beside him. His wound looked pretty bad, but he hadn't used his materia on it and she considered stealing it from him just to make sure the idiot got taken care of. Later maybe.

They each moved to take on the SOLDIER in front of them. Yuffie found this one slower than the other and figured that Vincent must have weakened the guy. He killed his opponent first though, and came to her aid, finishing off the last SOLDIER with several gunshots. The man collapsed at her feet.

"You okay, Vinny?" she asked, noting the glow in his eyes.

"Fine," he deadpanned, reloading his gun.

She frowned and glanced away, taking stock of the rest of their enemies. "You should take care of that arm," she said softly.

A knot of soldiers stood just out of easy range, but they looked too frightened to fight them when they had just defeated three First Class SOLDIERs. They looked back and forth amongst themselves indecisively, and finally one pulled out some sort of remote to call over one of the roboguards.

"That's just great," Yuffie murmured, readying a bolt spell. "On the count of three, okay?"

Vincent nodded.

On three, they each hit the robot with the strongest lightning magic they could. They darted forward while the thing was still in shock, since long range attacks would be of no use against its armor. Yuffie vaulted over it and managed to rip open some panel in its back.

A hole opened in its armor and a gun poked out. She ducked in time to avoid being hit, but then the roboguard turned to smack her aside with one arm. She fell sprawled across the floor and wondered dizzily if it had broken any bones with that hit. It sure felt like it.

Vincent yanked her roughly to her feet, making her cry out. Hoisting her onto one shoulder, he ran for the cover of a nearby column, where her yelling finally convinced him to put her back down. Being carried around totally sucked.

She peered around the pillar. The roboguard was headed their way, not wasting bullets with them behind cover, but it wouldn't last for long. The panel she had uncovered had to be good for something, if only the thing would turn around. Vincent caught her eye and, as if reading her mind, ran out from behind the column, drawing the robot's fire. When he had forced it to turn far enough, she flung one of her throwing knives into the panel. The wires sparked dangerously, and another bolt spell brought the machine to a stop.

Yuffie hurried over to rejoin Vincent, looking around to survey the situation. She could just see Cloud and Tifa past the grand staircase, fighting a pair of SOLDIERs and clearly handling themselves just fine. Otherwise, no other men had come to challenge them, but many of them had remained stationed by the elevator.

"Yuffie," Vincent said sharply.

The elevator doors had opened. Reno and Rude stepped out, the redhead carrying Aeris over his shoulder and his nightstick ready in his left hand. That mass of soldiers still stood between them and relative safety.

"Let's go help them out," Yuffie said, in motion before she'd finished speaking. Vincent ran with her, and they cut a path through their enemies to join the three near the elevators.

"It's about time," Reno commented.

"What?" Yuffie exclaimed. "You were expecting us?"

"Yeah, and you're late."

She opted to leave the punching him for after the battle and lifted her shuriken.

Some time later, only a dozen or so men remained in the room, and they held up their hands in surrender. Cloud motioned for them to get out, and then he and Tifa started towards the others. They all met in the center of the room.

"It figures that you couldn't just leave it up to us," Reno remarked.

"We thought you might need some help," the blond replied, "and it looks like you did."

The redhead shrugged. "We could've made a break for it."

"Just give it up and say 'thank you,'" Yuffie said, rolling her eyes.

"Sure, thanks."

"Is Aeris all right?" Cloud asked, shifting the conversation to more important things.

"Yeah, she's fine," Reno answered. "Just unconscious. She should wake up in an hour or so."

"What happened to her?" Yuffie demanded.

"Can't tell you, kid. You'll find out eventually."

She frowned, tightening her fists, but didn't push it. She'd ask Aeris later, though she wasn't sure that would get her any more of an answer.

"Let's just get back to the Highwind," Tifa said.

"Right," Cloud agreed, though he looked like he'd prefer to beat some answers out of Reno first. Instead he turned for the exit, but before any of them could reach the stairs, a warning began blaring over the intercom. The cannon was charging again, drawing hazardous levels of energy from the reactors.

"That can't be good," Tifa said anxiously.

After repeating the message again, the voice on the speakers went on to say that it was Professor Hojo at the controls.

"Hojo?" Reno repeated. "Godsdamnit." He drew Aeris down from his shoulder and carefully passed her to Cloud. "Get her back to the Highwind. We've gotta do something about that bastard."

Cloud gathered the Cetra in his arms, looking baffled to find himself taking orders from Reno. "What the hell's he doing?"

"No idea," Reno answered, "but you're not the one who knows how to shut the thing down, and someone needs to take care of Aeris. We'll call you when we need a lift."

"Fine," Cloud said, heading for the exit.

The redhead turned for the elevator, not glancing at the others but moving as if he expected them to follow. Rude had gone ahead, and Vincent strode after them without hesitating. Yuffie hesitated, and glanced at Tifa, who nodded to her and went with Cloud. Faltering a moment longer, Yuffie turned and hurried after Vincent.

More men waited on the first floor, not as many as above but still too many to be easy.

"This _sucks_," Yuffie enunciated. "I don't care if I pass out, I'm summoning Ramuh." She raised her shuriken with the embedded materia over her head and called out for the god in Wutain, concentrating on the spell.

Ramuh shot down through the ceiling in a bolt of light and landed in the midst of the soldiers. His tall staff struck the floor, sending lighting flying out in all directions, crackling through the men with the low rumble of thunder echoing after. It grew blindingly bright, and Yuffie had to look away.

When she looked back, the god had gone and their enemies lay sprawled on the floor, only a handful struggling to get back on their feet.

She wavered, feeling suddenly drained. She started to fall, but Reno caught her, and she used him to steady herself. She murmured a quick thank you, then took a deep breath and straightened. "Okay, let's go."

"Need me to carry you?" Reno asked.

Yuffie shot him a glare. "No."

He shrugged and led the way out of the building. They went down into the train tunnels, and at a fork in the tracks, Rude stopped. The others paused on noticing.

"You leaving now?" Reno asked.

Rude nodded.

"Take care of Elena, will you? I'll see you guys after this is all over."

"Right."

The redhead waved and turned to continue on. Rude went the other way, and Yuffie stood watching him until Vincent called her name and she scurried after the two ex-Turks.

"Why'd Rude decide to help out?" she asked.

"He just wanted to help Aeris," Reno answered.

"Don't tell me he likes her, too."

"Nah, he's into Tifa."

Yuffie blinked. "What?"

The redhead glanced at her. "What do you mean, 'what'? She's hot."

"It's just weird, 'cause Tifa likes Cloud, and everybody knows that. And they're kinda sorta enemies."

"Yeah, doesn't really detract from the hot," Reno said. "So, who've you got your eye on, Yuffie?"

"Huh? I don't like anybody."

"Damn."

She arched an eyebrow. "What, were you hoping I liked _you_? You're in love with Aeris!"

"Hey, nothing wrong with a threesome."

Yuffie didn't hesitate to punch him this time. "Pervert," she spat.

"Reno, perhaps you should refrain from getting yourself beaten up until after we kill Hojo," Vincent suggested.

"Very funny, Vince," the redhead muttered, rubbing his cheek.

The tracks came out into one of the sectors, Yuffie didn't know which. A recently-erected latticework of beams and girders rose up from the street to support the huge cannon, and thick wires snaked alongside the structure. A set of rickety-looking stairs led up to the control station.

It began to rain as Reno started up, the other two following. Several flights took them to the broad landing of the control station, where Hojo stood working with his back to them. He did not seem to notice them.

Vincent stepped forward. "Hojo."

The scientist paused, but did not turn. "Oh. It's _you_."

"Why are you doing this?"

"You shouldn't have to ask me why, but I suppose your 'friends' don't know. My son could use the energy; that's why."

"Your son...?" Reno repeated.

"Sephiroth, of course."

"_You_'re his father?" Yuffie exclaimed in shock.

"Yes," Hojo replied. "I offered my wife for the Jenova Project, and during her pregnancy, we injected Jenova cells into the womb. Brilliant, wasn't it?"

The ninja took a step back, revolted. "That's just wrong. No wonder he went crazy!"

Vincent shook his head. "He doesn't know."

"Still," she insisted. "That's terrible."

"Why help him?" Reno asked the scientist. "Okay, so he's your son, but what he's doing is going to get us all killed. I didn't think you had a death wish."

Hojo chuckled quietly, and Yuffie shuddered. "It's my desire as a scientist," he said. "To create a superior being, that's what the Jenova Project was. But Sephiroth, he's trying to go even further, to become a _god_. Hee hee... So of course I want to help him."

"Did you let Lucrecia die because of your 'desire as a scientist'?" Vincent asked, his voice low. The glow had returned to his eyes.

Hojo froze. "There was nothing I could have done," he said stiffly. "She would have died anyway."

"You couldn't have done for her what you had planned for Aeris?"

"She agreed to it. It was what she wanted."

"But you knew she would die."

The scientist finally turned around to meet Vincent's gaze. "Didn't you?"

"I have spent the past thirty years atoning for my mistake. You, however..."

"I have spent that time helping her son."

Vincent's eyes flared a brilliant red, and his voice rose in anger. "You are the one who drove him to this, and yet you claim to be _helping_ him? You _bastard_!"

Yuffie took another step backwards, and noticed Reno doing the same. She'd never heard Vincent raise his voice before.

"Hmph," Hojo scoffed. "Do you remember what happened the last time your anger got the better of you?"

"This time will be different," Vincent stated.

"Heh heh heh... We'll see about that. You see, after your Turk friends paid me a visit, I thought that I had better prepare myself in case something like that happened again. So I injected _myself_ with Jenova cells. Hee hee hee! Let's see how that experiment is turning out, shall we?"

With those words, his skin seemed to ripple. Yuffie had thought before that he looked a little green, but in the failing light, she hadn't trusted her eyes. Now though, he was seriously discolored. Tentacles shot out from his sides, tearing through his filthy lab coat, and within minutes, he was barely recognizable as having once been human.

Vincent tossed aside his gun and bowed his head. His normally slender form grew, straining the fabric of his clothing. Horns protruded from his head, a long tail extended from behind, and his boots tore apart as his feet became huge clawed talons. His skin turned to a dark violet. Finally, wings ripped through his back, broad bat wings the color of blood. They beat powerfully to get him into the air, and he hovered there, looking like a demon straight out of Hell.

Yuffie shuffled closer to Reno, her eyes wide in undisguised fear. "I don't think that one's ever come out before," she whispered.

The redhead looked at her, and though his gaze was much calmer than hers, it still showed a hint of fear. "Come on, Yuffie. Let's leave this fight to Vincent. We'll stay out of the way unless he really needs us."

She nodded dumbly and let him guide her to the far end of the landing. From there, she watched the two monsters fight. They were vicious, using spells far beyond her comprehension and attacks completely free of reservation. The demon that had been Vincent was quicker, but the thing that had been Hojo seemed able to heal itself. Still, the winged creature held a determined ferocity to win.

_Lucrecia_, Yuffie thought. That was the lady Vincent was in love with, but Yuffie had never known much about her. How the hell could she have been Hojo's wife? Why hadn't she gone with Vincent? Any way you looked at it, there was just no comparison. This Lucrecia lady, she decided, was a moron. She hoped Vincent got over her soon.

Finally the winged demon struck down what had been Hojo and let out a scream of triumph that sent shivers down Yuffie's spine. It alighted on the ground, folded its wings, and turned towards her and Reno. Fixing them with its blood-red gaze, it started towards them purposefully.

"Shouldn't he change back now?" the redhead asked uncertainly.

"Y-yeah..." She watched the demon approach, her anxiety only growing. "Um... Vinny?"

It stopped at the sound of her voice.

"Vinny, change back now, okay? Hojo's dead. Your fight's over."

The thing tensed, and slowly, slowly, the wings shriveled up and the tail and horns retreated. The demon left Vincent's body with reluctance, but at last he returned to normal and collapsed on the floor.

Yuffie hurried over to him, crouching down beside him. "Vinny, are you okay?"

He grunted softly.

"That's not an answer."

"I'm fine, Yuffie."

"You sure?"

He opened his eyes and sat up enough to nod. From there, he carefully got to his feet. It was a good thing his clothes were kind of baggy, she considered, or he would've been naked now. She found herself blushing at the thought and quickly shook her head, standing with him.

She looked around for Reno and spotted him at the control panel. She walked over to him with Vincent just behind her. "Can you shut it down?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. He only got it charged up a little more than halfway." The redhead hit a few more buttons and then turned to her. "Let's get back to the Highwind now."

Reno led the way through the streets of the sector. The few people still out gave them strange looks, but no one spoke to them. They saw no sign of Shinra.

"I guess you'll need to buy some new clothes," Yuffie remarked to Vincent. "It's too bad nothing's open this late."

He did not reply.

She glanced up at him. "So you really hated Hojo, huh? I've never seen you that angry before."

"Yes, I did hate him. But I hate myself as well."

"For letting her die?"

"Yes."

She frowned. What could she possibly say to him about that? "You shouldn't hate yourself. That's stupid. I don't know anything about what happened to Lucrecia, but you're a good guy, Vinny. You shouldn't hate yourself."

Vincent said nothing.

"Just do what the girl says, Vince," Reno told him. "It's easier that way. And anyway, thirty years atoning? I think that's enough to make up for whatever you did a hundred times over."

"Perhaps."

They continued on in silence until they were nearly out of Midgar, and then Reno used Vincent's PHS to call Cloud up. Yuffie was glad to be out of the city, but not so happy to be back on the Highwind. And, she realized, there was nothing left to do but fight Sephiroth. It was almost over, all they had to do was reach him. She had to admit, she was scared.

Reeve met them on deck and told them to come up to the bridge. Cloud had something important to say. Yuffie figured she knew what it was: 'We're going to fight Sephiroth. Are you sure you want to come?' And even though she was frightened, she knew what her answer would be: 'Hell yeah!'

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Please insert Disc 3.

Moving into the endgame now. I guess this still manages to coincide with game events, when they go into Midgar to stop Hojo, but Aeris sped up the timetable a bit.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"It's a lie! It must be!"

_I don't see why finding out that that scientist was your father should anger you so_, Jenova said.

The Masamune sliced through the air in broad arcs, so fast that it fairly screamed. "Hojo? That _bastard_? Godsdamnit, it can't be true."

_And why not?_

"I am _nothing_ like Hojo," he growled. Sephiroth wished the Professor could be here right now, so that he could rip him to pieces. It was not enough that he had died. Sephiroth had wanted to kill him with his own two hands. "It must be a lie. They're all lies."

_You must admit that there is human in you. It had to have come from somewhere._

"But from _him_?"

_So what if you are related? What difference does it make?_

Sephiroth drove the Masamune into the ground and leaned on its hilt. "You do not seem to understand. I don't want any connection to that man. None. I thought... that I had gotten away from him entirely, but now it seems that there is some of him inside of me. I cannot rid myself of that."

_When you become a god, you can do whatever you please_, Jenova reminded him. _So if you desire freedom from him, you can take it then._

"That is true," he admitted. "But until then..." He closed his eyes momentarily. "Mother... what of this Lucrecia woman? Who was she?"

_She was the human woman who gave birth to you. Nothing more._

Nothing more? He shook his head. Aeris had tried to tell him about Lucrecia before. She had tried to tell him that Jenova was not his mother. And perhaps she wasn't, perhaps the Cetra was right, but in the end, what did it matter? He was going to become a god, and then, none of this would matter.

He pulled the Masamune from the ground and turned for the tunnel that would take him back to where Holy lay caged. It would not be long now. Cloud and the others would be coming soon.

But he had to wonder: why had Aeris gone to Midgar?

* * *

Nanaki bounded up the steps from his usual haunt to join the others in their circle around Cloud and Tifa. Yuffie, Vincent, and Reno came in from the deck to join them, all three of them looking exhausted. Vincent's scent made Nanaki's nostrils flare, and he did not doubt that the man had recently transformed, especially considering his state of dress, but the scent was completely unfamiliar. A new demon. He dismissed the worrisome thought from his mind when Yuffie sat down beside him to stroke his mane.

Reeve arrived with Aeris a minute or so later. She avoided everyone's anxious gazes and moved to stand beside Reno.

"How are you feeling, Aeris?" It was Cloud who spoke, but the question was on everyone's face. That, and a want to know what she had had to leave them for, but Nanaki doubted she would explain. Especially because it likely had to do with Hojo.

"I'm fine, Cloud," she replied, meeting his gaze and offering him a slight smile. "Everyone else looks worse off than me."

Reno shrugged. "Don't worry about us, 'ris. We'll be all right with a little sleep."

She nodded slightly and fell silent.

"Anyway," Cloud said with a faint frown, "I think everyone knows what I'm going to say. There's nothing left for us to do but fight Sephiroth. I know I've said before that we were going to confront him and take him down, but this time, he's waiting for us. I can feel it. He's not going to disappear and leave us behind this time; he's going to fight us. It's not going to be easy, so I have to ask that each of you think about why you're here now and make sure that you really want to come with me this time."

"What the fuck's there to think about?" Cid asked with a grin. "You know we're all comin'."

"There's a good chance that none of us will make it out of there alive," Cloud told him seriously.

"Hasn't it always been like that?"

"'sides," Yuffie put in, "you're gonna need all the help you can get to defeat Sephiroth."

Tifa shook her head. "Even so, even if you're all sure you're coming, you need to be sure of your reasons. There's no room for doubt this time. It's distracting. It can get you killed."

"Reasons?" Barret repeated. "We're fightin' for the Planet, aren't we?"

"We say that," Cloud conceded, "but how many of us really think about that first? Aeris maybe; the Planet means more to her. But the rest of us? We're in this for revenge, or to protect someone. We're not thinking about the Planet when we fight."

The big man nodded. "Guess you're right. I'm doin' this for Marlene, too."

"Yeah, sayin' shit like 'it's for the Planet' does make it sound all noble," Cid admitted, "but that's sure as hell not the only reason I'm fightin'."

"And why _are_ you fighting, Cid?" Tifa asked, a playful smile crossing her face.

"What is this? Fucking show-and-tell? I don't gotta say a damn thing."

Several of them laughed. They knew Cid's reasons more than likely involved a certain woman named Shera back in Rocket Town, but the pilot would never admit it.

Once their smiles had faded, Cloud spoke again. "We're headed to Snow Village first to get supplies. I know everybody's tired, so get some rest now if you can. And think about why you're doing this. It's good to have something real to fight for."

No one missed the look he cast in Tifa's direction, or the way both their faces lit up when their gazes met. Nanaki exchanged glances with Yuffie, and she grinned, flashing him a thumb's up.

"Not so hopeless after all," he remarked quietly.

"Guess not," she agreed.

He nodded, then hesitated. "You look tired, Yuffie."

"Yeah, I am. I've never been able to sleep on this thing before, but I think at this point I could fall asleep on a roller coaster. It's been a long day."

"Indeed. Shall I keep you company?"

She smiled. "Sure, Red. C'mon, let's hit the sack before all the good rooms are taken."

* * *

Dawn would not arrive for several more hours, but there was light enough. It was a cloudless night in the North, and the sky was lit up with both starlight, and the angry red fire that was Meteor. The village lay blanketed in snow, as always, and glowed faintly with reflected light. Nanaki walked just ahead, his fiery tail lighting the path into the village.

Aeris hung back by the entrance, captivated by the sight of this place that looked like something out of a dream. She had been here before, what seemed like ages ago. In reality, that brief visit could not have been two weeks ago. Here, Sephiroth had let her stop for a meal, and then he had taken her to her parents' house to show her their fate. Back then, she had still held so much hope that he might change. Very little remained now.

"Something wrong?" Reno asked.

She looked at him, took a moment to process the question, and finally shook her head. "No. I was just thinking about the last time I passed through here."

"With Sephiroth, right?"

She nodded, looking away from him to watch the rest of her friends continue up the path to the inn. Only Yuffie glanced back to see if they were following, and she went on after only a moment's hesitation.

"Did something happen here?"

"I found out that this is my birthplace," she said. "And that Professor Gast was my father."

"You didn't know?"

She shook her head.

"Why would _Sephiroth_ tell you?"

"Because he got to show me how my father died," she answered quietly.

"Oh." The redhead was silent for a moment. "Well, come on, let's catch up with the others. Maybe we'll get to sleep in a real bed for a while."

"Mm," she said, and didn't move.

"Okay, serious, 'ris, what's wrong?"

"I still don't know what I'm going to say to him when I see him again. What can I say to make him change his mind?"

"Maybe you can tell him you're pregnant?" he suggested.

Aeris looked at him sharply. "In front of everyone?"

"Isn't that the best way? You'll be showing him you're stronger than what he did to you. Besides, you need to shock him if you're gonna get him to consider anything, right?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, I would need to shock him... but I'm not sure that's how I want to do it."

"Your friends'll find out sooner or later," Reno went on. "It's not like you can tell them it's somebody else's baby."

She frowned, hating the rationality of his argument. "And then what would I say?"

"I dunno. Isn't there anything you want to say to him?"

"I don't know. I've been trying to think for a while now, but nothing comes."

"Maybe you'll know when you see him."

"Maybe," she agreed doubtfully.

Reno said nothing and stood waiting.

"I want to be alone right now," she told him.

He looked like he'd been waiting for her to say just that. "I'll tell the others."

"Thank you. I'll be in my parents' old house if anyone needs me."

"Right," he replied, seeming to know where she meant without asking.

Aeris watched him make his way towards the inn, and then turned for the abandoned house that had belonged to Professor Gast and her mother. She wanted to watch the rest of the videos there, and to think. What could she possibly say to him?

* * *

"Oh, come _on_, Vinny. You can have plenty of alone time _after_ the battle, okay?"

"No."

The sun had been up for some time, and most everyone had already left the inn in search of supplies or some last moments to think before they headed out. Yuffie tugged harder on Vincent's arm, wishing she were actually strong enough to pull him anywhere. "But I wanna hang out with you beforehand and talk to you about stuff."

"You can go with Nanaki," he said. Why didn't anyone ever succumb to her persuasive skills?

"Red's coming, too."

"Then you don't need me."

"No, but I _want_ you to come with," she said. She let go, since it wasn't getting her anywhere, and tried the classic puppy-dog look instead. "Please?"

Vincent continued to meet her gaze, his expression not changing in the slightest.

"Your company would be much appreciated," Nanaki offered from his position near the door. "And I believe it would do you some good. Besides, it is generally easier to comply with Yuffie's wishes. She can be very persistent."

The ninja put her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The feline only glanced at her with feigned oblivion.

"Very well," Vincent sighed. "I will accompany you."

"All right!" Yuffie cried triumphantly. "Now first things first, we're getting you some new clothes."

Vincent arched an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look. You can't walk around like that, you look terrible."

"Does it matter?"

She cocked her head at him quizzically. "What's with you? The last time I dragged you out for clothes you just shrugged and went with it."

"It seems futile. We are about to fight Sephiroth, and considering the difficulty in that task, I doubt I will remain human. I may not even survive, and no one cares about clothing for a corpse."

Yuffie became suddenly anxious, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed Nanaki's tail swishing tensely. "Don't talk like that, Vinny."

"It's a possibility, Yuffie."

"No, it's not. I don't want to think about you dying, or any of us dying."

He held her gaze for a long moment, and finally nodded. "All right."

"Good." Without any further preamble, she grabbed his flesh arm and started for the door. She knew he was letting her pull him along, but it still gave her some sense of accomplishment. "If nothing else, you've gotta get some boots. You don't wanna be walking around in the crater barefoot."

Yuffie led the way to the shop where she and Tifa had picked up supplies before. She hadn't been thrilled about it then, but this time she just wanted to spend time with her friends to keep her mind off the upcoming battle. Vincent and Nanaki both made the shopkeeper uneasy, and the swift, mechanical way Vincent went about his business probably didn't help, but the woman recognized Yuffie and that seemed to set her at ease. Within minutes, they were back outside again.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent didn't reply.

"You made such a big fuss over it and we barely spent five minutes in there."

Still he said nothing. She was used to his silent nature, but they got along well enough that usually he'd at least give her some acknowledgment that he'd heard her.

Yuffie frowned, stepping in front of him to peer up into his face. "Is something bothering you, Vinny? You're being gloomier than usual."

"I am fine," he deadpanned.

"Uh-huh," she said skeptically.

"Perhaps he is simply thinking about the upcoming battle," Nanaki suggested.

Yuffie glanced down at him and then looked back at Vincent. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"Not for myself. Death is quite welcome to this body."

"You mean you're worried about the rest of us?"

He nodded.

"Wow, Vinny, I didn't know you actually cared."

That earned her another raised eyebrow.

She raised her hands, grinning sheepishly in apology. "Sorry, kidding. But I am kinda, y'know, flattered or something." She paused and then added more soberly, "Don't go saying stuff like that, though, like you wouldn't mind dying."

"I wouldn't."

"Well, _I_ would. I'm gonna be real pissed at you if you die, you got that?"

"The rest of us would be appropriately grieved," Nanaki added with some amusement.

Vincent shook his head slowly as though in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because you're our friend," Yuffie said with emphasis. "How many times do I have to tell you that?" She planted her fists on her hips and did her best to appear threatening. "Now don't you _dare_ even _think_ about dying on us. If you do, I'll have to find some way to bring you back just to spite you."

The ex-Turk's expression finally softened at that. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You'd better." That settled, she turned to continue on towards the general store in search of supplies. "So, what do you plan on doing once we've won?"

"I don't know," he said with a shake of his head. "There is nothing for me to return to."

"It must be hard for you, everything being thirty years past how you left it."

"It is strange, yes."

"You could always stay with one of us until you've sorted it out," Nanaki suggested. "You will always be welcome in Cosmo Canyon."

"I can't say the same for Wutai," Yuffie admitted, "but if Dad doesn't like it, he can go f-"

"Yuffie," Nanaki interrupted sharply.

"What?"

"Be mindful of your language."

"Oh, not you, too," she groaned. Was everyone and their mom trying to stop her from cursing?

"Thank you both for your offers," Vincent said, ignoring the short exchange.

Yuffie brightened at the thought that he might actually be considering them. "Don't mention it, Vinny," she replied with a grin.

They returned to the inn with loaded arms (well, she and Vincent anyway), and after dumping everything on the floor, they just sat and talked for a while. Yuffie did most of the talking, as usual, but Nanaki obliged her well enough, and Vincent continued to put in a word or two every so often.

The others were a long time in returning, and Yuffie found herself glancing at the clock more often than she'd thought she would. It wasn't that she didn't want this time with her friends, but at the same time, she was anxious to get the whole thing over with. The longer they delayed, the harder it would be to keep from thinking about it until they were there. The last thing she wanted was to lose her nerve, and let everyone down.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

However horrible a person Sephiroth turned out to be, I always feel terrible that Hojo had to be his father. Even Cloud pitied him for that.

Anyway, this is sort of an intermission chapter after the action. A period of uneasy anticipation.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

She was reluctant to leave the safety of her parents' bed. It was comforting to be here, even if this place had been her home for less than three weeks and she couldn't remember it. But she couldn't stay here forever, and sleep had already come and gone, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Aeris slowly uncurled and slid to the edge of the bed. She put her shoes back on, took one last look around the room, and left the house.

She was startled to find Reno waiting for her outside. "How long have you been out here?" she asked as he stood and brushed snow from his pants.

"Not that long," he answered.

She glanced at the sky; it was well past dawn. "Did Cloud say when we were leaving?"

"Later this morning."

She nodded. "I guess we should head back."

Reno followed her as she walked along the slippery path back towards the inn. For a moment it felt strange to be so sure of her footing, but she'd been in much worse shape, back then.

"You get everything sorted out?" Reno asked her.

"No," she admitted. "But I've got enough. We'll win this, and I know I'm coming back alive. That's enough."

"What about the rest of us?"

"I don't know. Do you feel like you'll be coming back?"

"Hell yeah. I'm not letting Sephiroth beat me."

"Then you'll be fine."

Reno stopped, and when she turned to look back at him, he met her gaze soberly. "That's the only way you can look at this, isn't it?"

"We have to win," she said quietly. "There's no other option. And whatever happens, I'm not going to die."

"I haven't even been thinking that far ahead," the redhead admitted, his grim expression softening. "I guess I should. After all this is over, it'd suck to be clueless."

"I wasn't so sure what to do either. And then I thought, 'there's a child in Midgar that belongs to me.' So I had to go back for it. I don't really know any more than that. I just feel like if I raise it to have a normal life, maybe that'll make up for something."

"You're gonna need help with that, aren't you?" Reno asked thoughtfully.

Aeris didn't answer. Instead she looked down at her feet. She knew what he was getting at.

"I can't say I'm good with kids, 'ris, but I'll give it a try if you need me."

"Thank you," she said, "but I think we both know you're wasting your time. You should just give up on me, before I end up hurting you. Find someone else, someone who can really appreciate everything you're doing."

He took a step closer and tilted her face upward. "Thanks for the concern, 'ris, but I'm not about to give up when I'm this close to winning."

"Reno, I don't think this is..."

And then he kissed her. She wanted to let him. There weren't any good reasons for her not to, except that it felt like a lie, an empty promise, to let him. And she wasn't sure if anyone could see them.

So she shoved him away and quickly looked around to see if anyone was nearby. They were alone on the narrow path, in the shadow of a nearby house. She didn't even hear anyone just past the bend, and she began to feel anxious. She took a few steps back to put some distance between them.

"Reno, please don't. Not now."

"But you need it, 'ris."

Aeris blinked. "What?"

"All you do is give. You help Cloud and Tifa and whoever else needs it, even that Sephiroth bastard. But you never ask for anything back, and it's wearing you out. I know you don't want anything from me, but you need _something_, and I know you're not about to start asking for it."

It was that simple, wasn't it? She had known from the start that sympathy from her friends would only hurt, so she'd distanced herself. She hadn't realized, however, that she did need something from her friends. Not something shallow like sympathy, but a real bond with someone, one through which she could get something in return, but she hadn't dared to try forming one. A bond like that could easily become painful.

"I still... don't have any guarantees that..."

"That this'll work out?" Reno finished. "When're there ever guarantees? I knew when I fell for you that even getting a chance'd be pretty unlikely. Doesn't mean I don't want to try."

Aeris felt tears in her eyes and for a moment she didn't understand them. This was Reno. Yes, this was Reno. There were no real secrets between them, they understood each other, and he was... what? In love with her? And not denying one bit of it.

She let the tears come. It had been a while since she had cried.

Reno seemed surprised, but he didn't hesitate to pull her into an embrace. "I guess it's too much to hope that those are happy tears."

Aeris started to laugh, but a sob chocked back the sound. She buried her face in his chest and let the weeping run its course. She had never cried in someone's arms before. It was... comforting.

At length she pulled away and brushed roughly at her cheeks. "Sorry," she said quietly, not trusting her voice.

"Hey, I don't mind."

"Is it strange for you to be so nice?"

Reno shrugged. "Kinda. Don't expect it to last."

She tried to smile, and found it surprisingly simple.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

"Yeah," she admitted, voice still a little raw. "I've never let myself cry in front of someone like that, but... I guess I needed it. Kind of sad, huh? I can't imagine you ever breaking down."

"You've been through a lot. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Aeris finally regained her composure and looked back at him. "Well. Why don't we get back now?"

"Don't I get anything for my efforts?" Reno asked with mock disappointment.

She couldn't help but smile. "What are you talking about? You kissed me beforehand."

"That's not a reward," he protested. "You pulled away half a second into it. Seriously, 'ris, you can do better than that, can't you?"

Maybe she could let him. Maybe he could help her forget. And maybe, just maybe, she could come to love him.

She stepped closer to him and slipped her arms around his neck. "Just no tongue," she warned.

He pulled her close. "Okay."

"I mean it."

"I'm not stupid."

Aeris closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. It had been a long time. She hadn't let herself become seriously involved with a man since Zack. She wondered if this could last.

The moment ended, and they turned for the street. She found his hand while they walked and held fast, not caring who saw. Her friends would worry, but she trusted Reno. In one way or another, even when he had been a Turk, she had always trusted him.

Even if this would not last, Aeris knew she could draw strength from it. When they confronted Sephiroth, she would be ready.

* * *

The gravity of the task was inescapable. They walked down the crater's slope in silence, and none of them smiled. With the whirlwinds of the Lifestream gone, the Highwind's crew had been able to drop them off relatively close to the center, but it was clear that the landscape had changed. The Planet had unleashed its Weapons and Sephiroth had summoned Meteor, and nothing was the same here anymore.

They couldn't tell when they reached the center; the earth had been shaken and split, and boulders made the path even more maze-like than it had been. They were looking for a way deeper, though, a way beneath the Planet's skin. That was where Aeris had said Sephiroth was waiting, and Cloud knew she was right.

A cave entrance appeared abruptly when they rounded a corner. They crowded around it, peering inside. It led steeply downwards and soon disappeared into the darkness.

"Nanaki," Cloud said, "you mind leading the way?"

The feline nodded and went first into the hole, his glowing tail casting a dim light against its walls. Cloud hung back, motioning for those without Mako-enhanced vision to follow, and the rest of them brought up the rear.

That put Cloud with Reno and Vincent, with Cait Sith trailing after. Reeve, not being a fighter, could only send the stuffed toy. No one thought it would last long, but any help it could provide would be useful.

It was the redhead who held his attention, though. He and Aeris seemed to be growing steadily closer. For whatever reason, they had already known each other relatively well when Reno had joined the group, and the ex-Turk surely knew Aeris better than any of them. The rest of them called her a friend, but none of them could claim to know her very well.

Cloud didn't like where that relationship was going. When he and Tifa had returned to the inn, Reno had had his arm around the Cetra. If it were anyone else, Cloud wouldn't have had a problem with it, but this was _Reno_, an ex-Turk, a man who used to kidnap and torture and murder for a living. Hell, he had wiped out all of Sector 7. It didn't matter that it had been an order. The redhead could have refused, but he hadn't. So what if he had been nothing but helpful to them? A man like that couldn't be good for Aeris.

Although, Cloud had to admit, Vincent had been a Turk once, and he had nothing against the man. Maybe that was because Vincent had been a Turk _thirty years ago_, and none of them had been personally affected by whatever he might have done. But Reno... Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie were dead because of him. Thousands of others, some of whom Cloud had known, were dead because of him. Cloud hadn't had as many ties to Sector 7 as Tifa and Barret, but he still hated Reno for what he had done.

And now Aeris was growing close to him? Maybe even romantically? What was she thinking? She had to know what he'd done. She'd seen the destruction herself. Surely she couldn't dismiss it so easily. Out of all of them, she'd always cared the most about other people, whether she knew them or not. Or had she changed since then? After they'd gotten her back from Sephiroth, she'd grown distant. But hadn't she been getting better? Hadn't she cheerfully wished him good luck after pushing him out the door to find Tifa?

Cloud didn't know what was going on with Aeris, but he was worried. After this battle was over, he hoped she'd be able to settle into a normal life, and they could all stop worrying about her.

Of course, that brought him back to the task at hand: killing Sephiroth. Finally, _finally_, they were going to accomplish what they had set out from Midgar to do. Nearly a month of chasing after him, trying to stop him and failing at every turn, always because of Cloud. But he was strong now that he had Tifa. He had something to fight for besides revenge, and he wouldn't let Sephiroth manipulate him.

The path underground continued downwards at a rapid pace, making it all too easy to lose one's footing, especially in the darkness. Cloud was also certain that there were monsters lurking down here, creatures not mutated by Mako exposure but born amidst the intensity of the Lifestream's energy. He doubted even their large party could frighten such creatures away. The others had likely come to the same conclusion, and only Aeris moved without unease.

They were growing slowly closer-Cloud could feel it-but they still had a long ways to go before they reached Sephiroth. It almost seemed like their enemy was at the very core of the Planet. It was amazing how deep these caves went.

It was many hours later, after fighting off nightmarish creatures and climbing ever downwards, that they decided to stop and rest one last time. They weren't far from their destination. A faint blue-green glow had begun to color the walls of the cave, shimmering like light reflected off water, and he could sense Sephiroth's presence ahead. A part of him wanted to press on-a few hours more and they would be there-but they were all tired, so he suppressed his eagerness and agreed to rest.

"Can you keep watch while the rest of us get some sleep?" he asked, turning to Cait Sith.

"I'm tired myself," Reeve admitted through the stuffed toy. "I'm not sure if I can stay awake too long, and Cait can only do so much by himself."

Aeris spoke up, her tone free of the anxiety the rest of them were feeling. "The Planet is lending us a little of its strength. It'll protect us for the night, so we don't have to keep watch."

"You're sure?" Cloud asked.

She nodded. "It knows we need our rest if we're going to defeat Sephiroth. We're fighting to save its life; it wants to do what it can for us to return the favor."

"Tell it 'thank you,'" he said hesitantly. He knew Aeris was a Cetra, and Cetra were supposed to be able to talk to the Planet, but she rarely relayed messages from it like this. Cloud had a hard time thinking of the Planet as a sentient being, capable of thought and emotion.

They settled down for the night, eating a quick and somber meal before rolling out their sleeping bags. Cloud welcomed Tifa into his, the feel of her warmth in his arms still like some kind of dream. In spite of what they'd have to do the next day, he could feel his worries easing out of him. For a while, they just lay awake together, whispering to each other about what they would do after this was all over. He had never even thought about it, before Tifa. His plans had always ended with Sephiroth, but now that was just an obstacle. _After_ they beat Sephiroth and saved the Planet, things would go on. That was what gave him strength now.

When he finally did fall asleep, his dreams, surprisingly, were pleasant.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Go Reno.

Not much to say here. Big fight next chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

One hour.

One hour of following Nanaki through dark caverns and down rocky inclines. One hour alone in her head with too many thoughts to contain. One hour of listening to the Planet's fear multiplied a hundredfold this deep inside of it. One hour until they reached Sephiroth.

It did not seem like a very long time.

Aeris could see the blue-green glow growing steadily stronger, and that gave her some hope. Holy was nearby. Holy had answered her prayer despite Sephiroth breaking the White Materia. All they had to do was free it from Sephiroth's spell.

Everything always came back to Sephiroth. There was no getting away from it. They were going to confront him, and there was only one way to ensure that all of them would make it out of this alive: she had to dissuade him from this.

But how could she? How could she possibly find the right words? She had set out the day before convinced that she would know when they reached him, but the closer they came, the more she doubted that. What if when she finally saw him, nothing came to her?

"We're almost there," Cloud said suddenly, and Aeris started.

Almost there? Surely they couldn't be so close. Surely she had a little more time.

_Be strong for me_, the Planet said, but she didn't know how to answer.

Within minutes they had stepped out into a huge cavern which, at its very center, appeared bottomless. Holy pulsed there above the abyss, brilliant and vibrant, but caged. The magic restraining it seemed almost visible.

And just in front of Holy stood Sephiroth, calmly waiting for them with the Masamune lowered at his side.

There was a pause lasting the instant it took for them to catch sight of their enemy. Then they all started forward.

Some intangible force flung them back, but caught them before they could hit the cavern's walls and pulled them slowly, painfully, towards Sephiroth. They hovered in a circle around them, crying out and struggling against a restraining barrier that felt like it was slowly crushing them. Aeris remained silent and still, fighting to ignore the pain. The Planet's was worse.

Sephiroth surveyed each of them, saying nothing until his gaze found her. His expression was inscrutable, and she found herself noting instead that he hadn't touched his hair since she had braided it. For some crazy reason she wanted to smile.

"It has been a while, hasn't it, Aeris?"

Her friends grew quiet, watching and listening with a tense silence.

"Yes, it has," she answered, distantly surprised at how level her voice was. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Talk?" Sephiroth repeated. "You want to talk? Very well, go ahead."

"Not like this."

He frowned, but released her from the spell.

She hit the ground hard and slowly crawled first to her knees, and then to her feet. "I want to ask you, one last time, to think about what you're doing. Reconsider. There's still time for you to turn back."

"How is there still time, Aeris? Meteor is close. I will soon become a god. There is no turning back now."

She shook her head. "Meteor hasn't hit, and you're not a god yet. That means there's still time. So please, think about this, really think about it. Do you really want to be doing this?"

"You would not ask if you did not already know the answer."

"If you don't want to be doing this, why are you doing it?"

"You know exactly why."

Aeris frowned, her tone growing angry. "If you want to kill off your soul, don't involve the rest of us. You're pretty close already, aren't you?"

"Not close enough," Sephiroth stated without emotion.

"That's right. I presented something of a problem to you. Well, have you remedied that yet? I'm hardly broken, am I?"

"You will be soon."

She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "You don't want me dead, you've said that much." She opened her eyes again. "I am very closely tied to the Planet. Its pain is my pain. Have you considered that when Meteor hits, I may die?"

There was the slightest of hesitations. "You won't. The Planet will not die from this; it will become a part of me, and so your bond will be to me, rather than to the Planet."

"But Meteor will do a great deal of damage to this Planet. What if I do die?"

"I won't let you."

"How could you stop it? It's not a bond that you understand."

"I am powerful enough to get what I want," Sephiroth said sharply, "especially if it is something so simple as your life."

Aeris took a step closer to him. "Isn't that putting a little too much effort into it, though? Does my life matter that much to you?"

He did not reply.

"Sephiroth, please stop this. You don't want it, and it's not too late. Release Holy. It will stop Meteor, it will put an end to your plan."

"And then what?"

"Then... you can come with me. If you stop now, I'll give you one last chance."

He scoffed. "What can you want from me when you have Reno?"

She just barely stopped herself from glancing back at the redhead. "I don't love Reno. He's just doing what you're too afraid to do. Besides, I'll be needing his help."

"You seem to be recovering well enough. What do you need him for?"

Aeris hesitated, then met his gaze and said clearly, "I'm pregnant."

For a long moment, Sephiroth said nothing. He even looked a little surprised. Behind her, she could hear her friends stifling gasps of shock.

"I see," he said finally. "That's why you went to see Hojo, is it?"

She nodded.

"You are a fool. You could have killed it."

"I didn't want to."

He blinked, some of his mask crumbling in the face of those simple words. "Why not? You cannot possibly..."

"Please, stop this," she begged. "You don't have to go through with any of it. You can turn back. You still have that choice."

Sephiroth shook his head slowly, his composure returning. "You are wrong, Aeris. It cannot end like this."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because I am not like you. I have made my choice, and there is no turning back."

"Isn't that within your power? You say that you're strong. Why can't you change your mind? Is that the one thing that's beyond you?"

His eyes narrowed, and she knew that she had failed. "You still don't understand, do you? The die has been cast. You cannot change anything."

Aeris dropped her gaze, looking at the ground beneath her feet. "Well," she said quietly, mostly to herself, "I tried."

She felt Sephiroth's gaze on her, penetrating. "I will, however, even the odds a bit. I doubt you can kill me, but you may try."

She heard her friends dropping to the ground with cries and grunts of pain, and she whirled around to see them getting to their feet. As soon as they were sure of themselves, they rushed to join her.

"Aeris, why didn't you tell us?" Tifa was the first to ask.

"I wasn't ready," Aeris said quickly, "and now's not the time to talk about it." She turned to face Sephiroth, who stood waiting, Masamune still held at ease. "I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this."

"Hope only sets you up for disappointment. You ought to abandon it."

"But then you'd win, so I can't do that now, can I?" Aeris struck first attacking him with an ice spell which he easily blocked. He then darted forward, raising the Masamune.

The battle had begun.

At first, she moved without thought. The fight had a certain rhythm to it; attack Sephiroth, guard against his counter, aid her friends. Repeat. The attacks varied, the faces were different, but the pattern remained the same. They had formed a rough circle around Sephiroth, as though to bar his escape, and darted in and out of the Masamune's range whenever an opportunity arose. Cait Sith remained some distance back, contributing with the most powerful spells he could manage.

Then Sephiroth broke the circle and brought the Masamune up through Mog and Cait Sith. The blade tore the stuffed bodies apart, leaving behind a useless mess of cotton fluff and fabric. He then turned easily to face the rest of them as they caught up with him.

The pattern resumed, but they all retained a wariness, their earlier ferocity and determination now colored by a guardedness in their movements. It was only a matter of time before one of them grew careless.

The Masamune found flesh this time, cutting into Barret's torso with ease. He fell with a low cry, and Aeris hurried over while the others tried to keep Sephiroth distracted.

The battle now became impossibly real.

She crouched down beside Barret, grimacing at the sight of the wound. She could hear Cloud summoning the Phoenix, and she felt its warmth flow through her body, healing her more minor injuries. But it did little for Barret, and, glancing over, Aeris saw that Sephiroth stood unaffected. She turned back to Barret, but a strong wind spell sent her flying.

She landed hard but quickly pushed herself up again. The other healers of their group were trying to make their way to Barret, but Sephiroth's spells pushed them back.

Angered and afraid that one of them really was going to die, Aeris turned towards Sephiroth. She wove an ice spell and flung it his way, the frozen air hardening into icicles which slammed into the ground at his feet as he leapt backwards to dodge them. She kept up the spell, but suddenly he stopped dodging and retaliated with fire. The flames melted her ice to nothing and rolled onward to reach her. Unable to put up a barrier in time, she cried out as they licked at her bare hands and burned into her coat.

The flames abated as someone else attacked Sephiroth, and Nanaki came to her aid. He helped her to heal her burns as they watched the others.

Cloud had attacked Sephiroth, and the two were locked in a sword fight, but Cloud could only barely hold his own. One wrong step on this rocky ground, and Sephiroth took the opening to cut him down. Tifa was at his side in an instant, ready to defend him, but Cloud struggled back to his feet, getting his sword between them and Sephiroth before the taller man attacked again.

Just as the Masamune began to arc downward, Cid struck Sephiroth with a bolt spell and followed up with his spear. A strong fire spell pushed him back, and Reno, Vincent, and Yuffie rushed past him to attack.

Aeris got back to her feet as Reno scored a hit and flew backwards from the force of an unseen spell. She hurried over to him, and Nanaki bounded off towards Cid.

Yuffie and Vincent pulled back from Sephiroth, and the ninja called out for Shiva. The ice goddess descended upon Sephiroth, buying them all a few needed moments.

Aeris helped Reno get a little ways away and then healed the worst of his wounds.

"How do you think we're doing, 'ris?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered quickly. "Hard to say."

She watched hopefully as Sephiroth staggered from Shiva's power, but anxiety found her again as he retaliated with fire and Yuffie fell. Vincent cast a powerful spell-Ultima?-and ran to help her.

A bolt spell struck Sephiroth soon afterwards, and Cloud attacked before he could regain his balance. The blond managed to get a solid strike and then leapt back out of the Masamune's range. The ground beneath the swordsman shook briefly, violently, and he barely blocked Cid's spear as it came down on him. He was quick to recover, though, and another stroke of the Masamune snapped the spear in two. A third swing ripped a gash through Cid himself.

Nanaki was nearby, having cast the earth spell, and he bounded to Cid's side. He shook his head and shouted, "Aeris, he needs your healing!" The Masamune swung towards him, and he scarcely dodged its blade. He growled, and stood his ground near Cid.

"Reno, buy me some time," Aeris said urgently. She turned away from him to run towards Cid.

She heard the redhead curse behind her, and then something like, "Okay, how does this go?" An instant later, he was shouting for Leviathan.

The water god slid up through the ground, the torrent rushing with it out of cracks in the earth and just as quickly vanishing somewhere high above them. Reno was charging for Sephiroth with his nightstick even before the sea serpent disappeared, and Cloud and Tifa joined him.

Aeris crouched down beside Cid, sucking in a breath at the sight of him. She laid a hand against his chest, closed her eyes, and began to knit the flesh back together. She heard cries of pain from her friends, and identified them in turn; Cloud, Tifa, Reno, all three were driven back.

Another wind spell hit her and she flew back. She got back to her feet to find Sephiroth standing only a few paces in front of her. Only Nanaki was close; he ran at the swordsman, but a harsh spell tossed him aside. Aeris stood her ground and blasted Sephiroth with a non-elemental spell, but he reflected it back at her, and she went flying again, crashing into the wall of the cavern. She cried out, feeling something snap, and grit her teeth to find the concentration to heal so she could stand again.

She could sense Sephiroth still approaching, and lifted her gaze enough to see Cloud come up from behind him. The swordsman whirled to block the attack, and the two clashed swords. Sephiroth moved still with a practiced and deadly ease, but Cloud with his injuries managed worse than before, clumsy in comparison. He took several hits, but held his ground.

Aeris hurried to heal herself, but wasn't quick enough. Cloud failed to block one crucial strike, and the Masamune tore deep into his shoulder and down his side. Sephiroth brought it around for the final blow, but Tifa flew in from the side, attacking with a fury that made even Sephiroth stagger. Nanaki came to her aid as the swordsman recovered from her initial blows, and the two fought him back.

Aeris staggered over to Cloud and pressed her hands to his blood-soaked shoulder. The Masamune had nearly severed his arm, and she struggled to close up the wound. To her frustration, she was growing tired, and her own half-healed wounds distracted her. Cloud couldn't die here! He and Tifa had a life to start together.

Sephiroth knocked her away with the blunt edge of the Masamune, the force of it making her double over in pain. She threw up a barrier to soften the spell which followed, and struggled to get up. She spotted Tifa lying on the ground some distance away, Nanaki beside her, and fixed her eyes on Sephiroth.

"Godsdamn you," she spat. "Let me heal them!"

"The puppet should have died here before, Aeris," he said, his voice all hard edges. "He lives on borrowed time."

She hurled a spell at him, and he threw one back at her. It only took one more from him to break through her barrier spell, and his next spell hit her full-force. She dropped to her knees.

Suddenly Reno was in front of her, shielding her from the next of the barrage. He grunted and charged forward with his nightstick. Vincent and Yuffie followed. All three of them managed to strike Sephiroth, but all three of them went flying. Yuffie landed hard and did not get up. Nanaki bounded over to guard her unconscious form. Reno climbed to his feet very carefully and stood panting.

Vincent let out a cry not of pain, but an animal roar. Wings ripped through his back and he transformed into a creature Aeris had never seen before, some red-winged demon. The demon threw itself at Sephiroth, and the swordsman suddenly found the battle not quite so easy.

The rest of them took the opportunity to regroup. Aeris, Reno, Nanaki, and Tifa. They healed up as best they could and supported the monster which was Vincent with spells every chance they got. Finally, though, Sephiroth crushed the demon with a blinding spell that felt akin to Holy, something Aeris thought he shouldn't have held power over. The winged thing dropped to the ground and in moments Vincent lay there unconscious.

Aeris's three remaining companions exchanged glances, nodded, and charged Sephiroth in unison. They held their own for a few moments before the Masamune cut them down in turn. Reno fell last, and Sephiroth struck him again once he was down.

He then turned to Aeris. She was the last one standing, she realized, and her teeth clenched in anger and no little fear. They weren't supposed to lose. They couldn't afford to lose. They _could not lose_.

She attacked him with the most powerful spell she could muster, a weave of ice and holy and lightning, and he stumbled.

And retaliated.

The spell ripped through her and she collapsed. She hurt all over, she was exhausted, and her friends were all dead or dying. They had lost. Gods and Planet both, they had lost. Any will to get up left her in the face of that terrible thought.

"Pathetic," Sephiroth scoffed. "Well, Aeris, it looks as though things are going according to my plan after all."

She opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly she felt nauseated, and her head spun. She sensed a new presence in the cavern, something which made her skin crawl. If not for all the blood in the air, she thought she might have been able to smell it.

_Is this... Jenova?_ she wondered.

Then she _heard_ it, although it felt more like the sounds were being forced down her throat.

_Well done, my son. All obstacles have been removed, and there is only one thing left for me to do._

Aeris froze, her eyes widening. Something in those words terrified her beyond all reason. She struggled to get back to her feet. "Sephiroth-!"

She heard him grunt and stagger, saw the light flicker from the spell, tasted it sour on her tongue. She stumbled to her feet and ran towards Sephiroth, who sat stunned, Masamune knocked from his grasp. Aeris reached him just as Jenova cast another spell, and she took the brunt of it for him. It hurt like hell and made her want to vomit, but she swallowed hard and turned to Sephiroth, hastily putting up a barrier. It wouldn't hold for long, but she needed to get a few words in before Jenova rendered her speechless.

_Stupid Cetra bitch_, she heard in her mind and felt in her gut. Another spell hurtled towards them and smashed hard against the barrier. Her wall withstood it, barely.

Aeris forced herself to ignore it. "Sephiroth, are you all right?" she asked first.

He stared at her, not seeming to comprehend. He looked lost again, like that one lucid moment in the Temple so long ago. "Mother just... She... Why did you...?" He shook his head. "Am I... all right...?" he echoed, and some steadiness finally returned to his voice. "What do you care?"

"I can't beat her on my own," Aeris said urgently. "I need your help. You have to fight."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, both of us are going to die, and _Jenova_ will become a god."

He dropped his gaze and let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe that's fine. Maybe this is what will finally put an end to me. If I am to die here, let me die."

"Godsdamnit!" she cried, grasping his collar and jerking him towards her with what strength she had left. "I don't care if you want to die. I don't care if you think this is fate. _I_ don't want you to die any more than I want to die myself. You can't undo what you've done, but for the Planet's sake, _help me fight her_!"

Sephiroth met her gaze blankly. "You... After all that I've done to you, how the hell can you actually care?"

"I don't know!" she snapped, letting go of him. She could feel her barrier spell slowly deteriorating, being carefully picked apart. "Stop wasting time! You can find yourself later."

He nodded and pushed himself up. He removed one of his gloves, touched her briefly,and she felt healing wash over her. She was no less tired, but at least the pain had subsided.

"Thank you," she said more softly.

He did not acknowledge the words, instead putting up another barrier spell just before hers broke down. "I will kill Jenova," he said levelly, the Masamune suddenly in his hand again. "Just back me up."

Aeris nodded and watched him charge Jenova. The thing had strong magic, but he was faster, even though the first battle had surely tired him. Aeris helped when she could, casting spells to buy him time, rushing to heal him when he fell.

She was surprised to feel a little thrill whenever Jenova tried to attack her and Sephiroth darted in to protect her. It shouldn't have meant anything. He had hurt her friends, almost certainly killed some of them. Whatever he did now should not have mattered to her. Besides, they were allies in this one fight. It was only logical that they helped each other. But she couldn't stop that tiny part of her from wanting to smile.

The battle was one long, tense moment. While Sephiroth was fighting, it seemed to stretch on forever, but once he had finally struck Jenova down, it did not seem to have taken very long.

Sephiroth dropped to a crouch, panting. The Masamune disappeared. Aeris slowly made her way over to him, but found nothing to say.

"I suppose it's all over now," he said.

The tone of his voice relieved her. She had thought for one terrible instant that maybe he would just go on with his plan, now that Jenova was not there to stop him.

"What a fool I was," he went on in a murmur, "to follow that bitch. What a fool I have always been. I only wanted out of this life, somehow. You've ruined all my chances for that, Aeris. I shouldn't be able to feel anything anymore, but you... Godsdamnit."

Aeris still did not know what to say. Part of her wanted to comfort him, but part of her was convinced that he deserved this. "Sephiroth," she said softly, "you need to release Holy. Anything else can wait."

He glanced at Holy in the cage of his spell. "You'll have to get out of here first."

"How? There's no way I can make it back the way we came, and I'm not leaving without my friends."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment. "...let me try something."

"Try what? What are you doing?"

"Quiet."

She did as he asked and waited. Several minutes passed before she felt anything happen. It was a jarring sensation, one of displacement, and for a moment she felt that she did not exist.

Suddenly she was back on the bridge of the Highwind. Sephiroth was beside her, and her friends lay scattered about the floor.

"What the-?" Reeve exclaimed, starting towards her and faltering on seeing Sephiroth.

"It's all right," Aeris said wearily. "He brought us here; I don't think he'll try anything. Just get us out of here."

"R-right." Reeve spoke quickly to the pilot-in-training, who guided the Highwind away from the crater.

"Now let Holy go," she said to Sephiroth.

He nodded. "It is free." He looked on the verge of collapse. Considerable effort must have gone into bringing all of them here.

Aeris didn't feel any stronger, but she made her way to the broad window at the front of the bridge. She could see Meteor looming huge to the south of them, far too close to the Planet. The Highwind rocked, throwing her off balance, as Holy rushed by beneath it. She steadied herself and watched it streak towards Meteor. It looked like it would make it.

Sephiroth spoke up from behind her, resignation in his voice. "If you want to kill me now, Aeris, go ahead. I will not stop you."

She turned around, frowning. "I thought I told you, I don't want-"

"Then you really meant it? You didn't say it only to gain my help?"

"I meant it."

He shook his head. "I don't understand you, Aeris. You have no further use for me, and you should hate me. You were right about Jenova. You were almost right about me, but you put too much faith in me."

"I never thought you'd give up without a fight. I thought we would have to kill you, but there's no need for that now."

"Then what would you have me do?"

"I don't know." She stepped away from the window, seeing Reeve crouching down beside someone, trying to heal them. Her friends were all... Gods, but they were in bad shape, and everyone had someone or someplace they needed to get back to. Barret had Marlene. Cid had Shera. Nanaki and Yuffie both had homelands to protect. Vincent had found good friends among them. Cloud and Tifa had each other. Reno had... her.

Aeris looked around for him and stumbled towards the redhead, dropping to her knees when she reached him. Blood covered half his face and caked his shallowly-rising chest. He wouldn't last much longer without her aid. She gathered the last of her strength for a healing spell, cast it, and collapsed on top of him.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I hate writing fight scenes, but I really love this chapter. There, at the very end, he chooses.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

It was a nightmare that woke her, a nightmare in which things had gone differently, in which Jenova had turned on _her_, without anyone to stand in its way. Even the memory of the alien made her skin crawl. That was the thing which had nearly wiped out her ancestors? It didn't surprise her. It had been hard enough just being near it.

For a long time, Aeris just lay there, staring at the ceiling and trying to calm her racing pulse. She sensed nothing abnormal here, nothing alien, nothing frightening. The ceiling even looked familiar; as her mind cleared, she realized she was in Icicle Inn.

She sat up slowly, looking around. At the end of her bed lay Nanaki, sleeping more deeply than she'd ever seen. Reno and Vincent occupied the other beds in the room, both unconscious. She slid out of bed, checking each of them to make sure they'd be all right. Then she shuffled to the door and stepped out into the hallway.

She faltered there for a moment. It was night, and the hall lights were dimmed. She left the door open and walked slowly to the next room down. She was still so very tired, and her body moved sluggishly, but she had to see what had happened to her friends. She had to see if all of them had made it, or not.

She knocked softly on the door and waited. A moment passed before it opened, and Reeve's face greeted her. His face was creased with worry, and he looked much older. "Oh, Aeris," he said softly. "You're awake already."

"Couldn't sleep," she murmured. "How is everyone?"

He frowned, not answering for long enough that she knew they'd lost someone. Finally he stepped back to let her inside. "Not so good."

Tifa, Yuffie, and Cid lay in the room's three beds. The room was lit only by one of the bedside lamps, but she could hear their breathing, and sense that they were still alive. She made her way to Tifa's bed, looking down at the unconscious brunette. "Where's Cloud?" she asked finally. She turned to Reeve. "And Barret?"

He shook his head. "They... didn't make it. I couldn't do anything for them. I'm sorry."

"No, it's... not your fault." Aeris swallowed, looking back at Tifa and fisting her hand in the blanket. She'd known this might happen, that Sephiroth might...

Her head jerked back up. "Where's Sephiroth?"

"He's in the next room. The innkeeper's watching him."

She nodded stiffly. "Did he help you bring us here, the innkeeper?"

"He and the staff, and the Highwind's crew, they all helped. I told them what you all had done. But I didn't tell them about Sephiroth. I... Aeris, what happened down there?"

She was silent for a moment. She reached to touch Tifa's arm and winced at just the brief sense she got of the woman's wounds. "I'll explain more later, but... He gave it up, at the very end. Jenova turned on him, so he gave up... He won't try anything. He doesn't have the will. Just... don't judge him. Don't let anyone else judge him. Let me decide."

"What about the rest of us? What about Tifa? She's lost everything because of him, hasn't she?"

"I know," Aeris said, and swallowed again. "But Tifa doesn't know him like I do. She'd probably want him dead, and that's not what he deserves. He wants to die."

Aeris hesitated and moved to Yuffie. Her frown deepened as she found the ninja to be in no better condition. Cid was perhaps worse. Desperation at last broke through the apathy her weariness had granted her, and her voice cracked. "Oh, Planet... I can't heal all of them. Reeve, are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

"I... can't handle wounds like these," he said, wringing his hands. "Magic isn't my strong point."

"What about the villagers? Aren't there any healers here?"

He shook his head. "They don't have materia around here. I asked, but no one seems to know how to use it. They bandaged them as best they could..."

"A-aeris?"

She started and looked down at Cid, biting her lip. "Cid, just..."

"The others... they okay?"

She hesitated, not knowing what to tell him.

"They ain't, are they?" He shut his eyes for a moment. "Gods-fucking-damnit. Well, never mind. Keep it to yourself, I don't need to go out on bad news."

"Cid... You're not going to die."

"Look on your face tells me someone's gonna. You help the others first. I've lived longer."

Aeris shook her head. "But what about Shera?"

"Shit... Well... She deserves better anyhow. Just tell her, y'know... I love her."

"You're not going to die."

"Damnit, Aeris, just go help the others."

She sank her teeth into her lip, nodded her defeat, and turned back to Yuffie and Tifa. This was all wrong. None of them deserved death. Certainly they weren't saints, but no matter what they had done, none of them deserved to die. Not Cloud, not Barret, not Cid. They all had people waiting for them. Tifa, Marlene, Shera... what were they supposed to do?

She healed Yuffie first, mending the worst of her injuries, the ones that could kill her. She was so young for all that she'd been through with them. She had a father waiting for her back home, and a home to go back to. A home to rebuild now that the world was stable enough for it. Yuffie had Wutai, and Wutai needed her. It wasn't right that she'd come this close to death.

Aeris stumbled to Tifa, and focused on her wounds. Tifa had been through so much. She'd lost two homes, first Nibelheim and then Sector 7, and with them all the people she'd known and loved except Marlene. Even Cloud was gone. Cloud, the one she had pinned all her hopes and dreams on, and they'd all thought her right for doing it. Aeris had thought she was lucky, to have him to move on with after all this was over.

Dots swam in her vision, threatening to blind her entirely and send her back into unconsciousness. She dropped to a crouch on the floor and shut her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

"Don't push yourself, Aeris," Reeve said.

She was surprised to find him next to her, his hand on her shoulder. She began to shake her head and quickly stopped. "No, I need to, or Cid will... I can't let him..." She grasped Reeve's arm. "Help me over to him."

"You need to rest. You're barely conscious."

"Rest can wait. I'll be all right."

"But..." He stopped. "Right." He helped her up and all but carried her over to Cid's now-unconscious form.

Her legs wouldn't support her. She fell to her knees at his bedside and reached up to touch his arm. She closed her eyes and willed his wounds to heal. She could feel it starting to happen. Just a little bit more, and...

Her thoughts left her abruptly, and Reeve caught her before she hit the floor.

* * *

Sephiroth could scarcely remember the last time he had slept in a bed. Not since before Nibelheim. He had never needed much sleep, and frequently when he was tired, he had slept on the floor or in a chair, not caring enough to use a bed even if one was available. The Nibelheim inn had been short one bed, and he had spent the night by the window, probing his memory.

Since then, no bed had been welcome to him. So why was he here now?

Ah, yes. He was with Aeris and her friends. The Cetra had probably had something to do with it.

He sat up, looking around to regain some sense of place and time. Icicle Inn. A wall clock read 6:49, though he could not tell if it were morning or night. Either way, he'd slept a long time. Aeris and her friends had put up a better fight than he had expected.

But not good enough. Indeed, the other two beds in the room were occupied by corpses. Barret and the-and Cloud had both died. Perhaps he should have felt guilt for having killed them, but he accepted the facts indifferently.

The room's only other occupant was a native man who had nodded off, and Sephiroth spared him only a glance before he moved out into the hallway. He listened carefully, but heard nothing that would tell him where Aeris rested. In fact, there was a silence about this whole place that felt strange to him, but not entirely unfamiliar or unwelcome. He remembered clearly what he had done, but hadn't quite realized all its implications. That constant presence in his mind, the background murmur of Jenova's thoughts, was gone.

He tested the knob of the next door down, turned it slowly, and peered inside.

Aeris sat crouched on the floor near a bed in which lay Tifa, and Reeve was beside her. She seemed to be conscious through sheer will, and Reeve had to help her over to another of the beds. She dropped down beside Cid, desperate to heal.

Sephiroth watched in fascination. He did not understand this kind of commitment. He did not understand how she could care so strongly for her friends or try so desperately to save them. If Aeris were in such danger, would he push himself so hard to help her? He doubted it. It was one thing if it was easily within his power, but the kind of effort she put forth, that was beyond him. How was any one person worth that?

Before, she'd spoken to him as though he, too, could have friends as she did, but the scene before him only convinced him of that impossibility. He simply wasn't capable of such human relationships. He didn't understand them.

Aeris fainted, and Reeve carefully gathered her up. He turned for the door and froze. "You. What are you doing here?"

"You brought me here, didn't you?" Sephiroth said, but quickly shook his head in dismissal. "Is Aeris all right?"

"Why should you care?"

He waited.

Reeve sighed. "She's all right. This isn't the first time she's pushed herself too hard trying to heal someone."

"I take it your pilot is dying?"

The other man's face darkened with anger. "You should know; you're the one who put him in this condition. Why the hell do you need to bother asking?"

Sephiroth shrugged.

Reeve glared at him, and without the burden in his arms, Sephiroth thought the man might actually have tried assaulting him. "Look," he said instead through clenched teeth, "I need to get Aeris back to her bed. You stay right where you are. Don't you dare move an inch."

"Or what?"

"Ugh... Just don't move." Reeve pushed past him with Aeris in his arms, and Sephiroth watched him until he disappeared beyond the door frame.

He turned back to survey the room, and then went to check each of its occupants in turn, disregarding Reeve's order. The man had no power over him, and he had no intention of doing any further harm anyway. It hardly mattered now. He had swerved from his path at the last possible moment, just barely avoiding crashing to an end. He had chosen (what a thought!) not to go through with it.

He shook his head and moved on.

Cid was most certainly dying. Sephiroth stood beside his bed, studying him, wondering why Aeris had wanted so badly to save him. They weren't particularly close, and Sephiroth felt even she would have to admit they were little more than acquaintances. Aeris had no need for this man, and it was very likely that after this band had recovered and gone their separate ways, she would never see him again. So why? Had she only wanted to save him because he needed her help?

Was that why she had tried to warn Sephiroth about Jenova? Why she had persuaded him to get up and fight? Or had she only helped him because she had needed his help in return? Somehow he doubted that; she had never seemed to want anything in return for her actions. Still, it was hard to believe that she could do such a thing for _him_.

"What do you think you're doing?" Reeve's voice demanded as he reentered the room.

"Nothing. I'm only thinking."

"While you're thinking, why don't you make yourself useful?"

Sephiroth glanced up at him in confusion.

Reeve's face was still set in a frown, and he spoke with apparent difficulty, clearly hating each word. "Surely you know some healing spells."

"Healing spells? You mean for Highwind?"

"Don't give me that clueless look," Reeve snapped. "I can't heal him, and Aeris didn't have the strength left, so we're stuck with you. I hate the idea of it, but he doesn't deserve to die."

Sephiroth supposed he didn't. The pilot's life may have been worthless to him, but others felt differently, and in the end, it was not his place to judge. His own life had been worthless from the start, and despite all his designs to end it, Aeris had saved him.

He knew it was _right_ to save this man, and while it mattered little to him whether Cid lived or died, it did matter what Aeris thought. She would want no part of him now, but to learn that he had stood here looking down on this man and let him die, after all that she'd done, that could only add fire to her hatred. It would be a true rejection of her and the kindness she'd shown him there, at the end.

"Fine," he said. He touched Cid's arm and probed his wounds through the contact. Once he understood them, he puzzled out the weaves he would need to mend them, and smoothly executed them.

When he had finished, he straightened and turned to Reeve. "Is there anyone else on the verge of death?" he asked stiffly.

The man looked startled, as though he hadn't honestly expected Sephiroth to heal the man, and he certainly hadn't expected such a question. "These three were the worst off, so unless you can bring back the dead, you've done enough."

"And Aeris?"

"What about her?"

"She cannot be perfectly fine."

"If she's wounded, she's been hiding it well."

Sephiroth nodded and turned for the door.

"Where are you going?" Reeve asked sharply.

"To wait for her. If you have no further use for me, then I am only awaiting Aeris's verdict."

* * *

Reno didn't understand how he was still alive. Aside from Aeris, he had been the last one standing. Even if she could have healed the wounds Sephiroth had inflicted on him, she couldn't have held her own against that bastard. And while Sephiroth wanted Aeris alive, he didn't give a shit about the rest of them.

So what was he doing alive and relatively well, lying in a warm, soft bed?

He sat up carefully, testing his limbs. The worst of his wounds seemed gone, and the rest had been bandaged.

He looked around and immediately caught sight of Sephiroth sitting in a chair beside the bed to his left. Beside Aeris's bed. His confusion quickly subsided in the face of anger. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The bastard didn't even turn to look at him. "That's hardly the question you should be asking."

"Oh, sorry, let me try again. What are the rest of us doing here, and why the hell are you with us?"

"Jenova," Sephiroth enunciated carefully, as though he was unused to the word, "turned against me. She must have been counting on you to weaken me. If Aeris had not demanded it of me, I would not even have fought her. If Aeris had not been there, I would not have won. It's no wonder Mo... Jenova was so adamant that I kill her." He paused before continuing. "I brought all of you back to the Highwind and released Holy. After that, I do not remember. Someone else must have brought us here."

"Why didn't you just go through with your whole godhood plan after Jenova was out of the way?" Reno demanded.

"How could I have? After all that I have done, Aeris helped me, and it _meant_ something." Sephiroth shook his head. "My plan would have accomplished nothing. I would only have betrayed her."

"So she was right about you after all?" the redhead asked bitterly. "That's just fucking great."

The bastard didn't reply.

Reno got out of bed and strode over to him, wanting to force the man to meet his gaze. "So why are you waiting here?"

Sephiroth's eyes remained fixed on Aeris. "I am waiting to see what she wants of me."

"She didn't say?"

"She said that she didn't know."

"She's being damn soft on the man who raped her."

The bastard frowned at that, and said nothing.

"Why did you do it?"

Still nothing, so Reno reached down and grabbed him by the collar, half-yanking him out of the chair. Then, finally, Sephiroth met his gaze. "Tell me," Reno growled, "why you did it. _How_ you could do it. You look me in the eye and you tell me that."

For a moment longer, Sephiroth was silent, his mouth twisting as though at the thought of something unpleasant. When he spoke, his voice was level, controlled. "I wanted to see her as an object. I wanted to see her as something less than a person. If I could break her, then she would be worthless, and she would not awaken emotions I had long since beaten into silence. I was supposed to be beyond emotion; I could not let her change that."

"That's it?" Reno said incredulously. "You raped her because you didn't want to fall in love? You fucking bastard!" He shoved Sephiroth back, only the man's sense of grace keeping him from toppling over in the chair.

Nanaki started at the outburst and lifted his head, blinking his one eye blearily.

"If you want to kill me," the bastard said coolly, "I suggest you wait. It is Aeris's decision."

"What the hell's _wrong_ with you? How can you sit there and spout this kind of bullshit? You're a worse bastard than I am, and here you are waiting so fucking calmly for Aeris's verdict. Hell, you even _know_ you're wrong. Don't you feel _anything_? Don't you at least regret doing this to her?"

"Yes. I do regret it. But it doesn't matter if I do. It's too late for me to ask forgiveness. She may not want me dead, but I know she will not want me near her. I will do what she asks of me, no more, no less. That is all there is to this."

"I can't listen to this anymore," Reno growled. "Nanaki, watch him." He started for the door and noticed Vincent was also awake. "You, too, Vince. Make sure he doesn't do anything else he'll regret."

He stormed out into the hall, barely managing not to slam the door. He wanted to wring Sephiroth's neck, but death was too good for that bastard. And whatever Aeris could choose would wind up being too soft, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He took a moment to calm himself before venturing into the next room to see who else was still alive.

"Well, Reeve, how did the rest of us fare?" he asked with a levity that sounded forced even to himself. He took stock of those in the room, and noted who was missing.

Reeve didn't seem startled by his appearance. Probably he had heard the yelling through the wall. "Cloud and Barret are dead," he said tiredly, as though he had said these words enough for them to lose their meaning entirely. "Everyone else seems all right."

"Just two dead?" Reno wondered. "I was pretty sure a lot of us were goners, myself included. Aeris couldn't have healed everyone."

"She managed a lot. Sephiroth healed Cid..."

"What, was he trying to make up for something?"

Reeve shook his head. "I don't know. I asked him because he was the only one who could. I didn't really think he'd do it."

"I really hate him," Reno said. "I don't think Aeris'll be able to dream up a punishment fit for _that_ bastard."

"You need to stop using that word so much. You're starting to sound like Cid."

"It's the only one that even comes close."

"Maybe," the other man conceded.

They were both silent for a moment. Reno couldn't think of much to talk about it. Their job was done, wasn't it? The Planet was safe. Maybe it hadn't come about the way they'd intended, but the Planet was safe. And Sephiroth was still alive, even after killing two of them. There wasn't much to say about that without getting depressed or angry. He couldn't talk about going on from here either, because his plans all involved Aeris, and thinking about her right now instantly reminded him of Sephiroth, waiting for her in the next room.

Yuffie stirred, catching his attention. He went over to her as she pushed herself up on her elbows.

"Where...?" she began, stopping when she recognized the room. She caught sight of Reno and stared at him blankly. "Okay, wait a minute, what happened? Did we win somehow?"

Reno grimaced. "Not exactly. After we went down, Jenova turned on Sephiroth. Aeris helped him kill it, and then the bastard finally changed his mind about destroying the Planet. He got us back to the Highwind, Reeve took care of the rest. The Planet's safe, but... Hell, it's not the story I'd wanted to be telling."

Yuffie needed a moment to take all that in. Then she asked the next question. "Is everyone okay?"

He shook his head. "Cloud and Barret didn't make it."

"Oh. Oh..." She bit her lip. "What... What's Tifa gonna do?"

"I dunno. She hasn't woken up yet."

"So she doesn't even know that he's...?" Yuffie sat up straighter, voice anxious. "But, once she finds out he's- he's dead, she's gonna... She couldn't handle it at all before, and we didn't even know for sure."

Reno had nothing to say to that. Yuffie had said everything.

"So... Wait, what happened to Sephiroth?"

"He's here. Waiting for Aeris to wake up so she can tell him to go fuck himself."

Yuffie frowned, chewing on her lip. She probably didn't like the idea that Sephiroth was that close to her friend.

"Vince and Nanaki are keeping an eye on him," Reno told her, and it was some assurance to himself as well.

She nodded, but her expression didn't change. "Reno, why didn't Aeris tell us that he... you know... Why didn't she say anything?"

He sat down on the edge of her bed. "She didn't want the special treatment. You guys worried about her enough without knowing."

"I guess. But what's she gonna do now?"

"Beyond having the baby, I don't think she knows yet. But I'll look after her."

"Even though she doesn't love you and it's not your baby?"

Reno shrugged as though she hadn't just hit on two very key points that bothered him. "That doesn't matter so much to me," he said.

"Y'know, you're a jerk sometimes, but you seem a lot more dependable than I thought when I first met you."

He snorted. "I'm not doing 'dependable' for anybody but Aeris. Too much work."

That earned him a soft, half-hearted laugh, and then they were both quiet for a moment.

"You're reacting pretty well to all this," Reno remarked, eyeing her speculatively. She was just a kid; shouldn't she have been crying?

"You think I'm not used to people dying?" Yuffie asked sharply. "I grew up during the war. I've seen people die. I saw my mom die. I can handle it."

He let out a sigh. "Yuffie, trust me on this one: you don't wanna be the sort of person who's used to people dying. If you feel like crying, cry. Nobody's gonna say you're weak for crying over your friends' deaths."

She met his gaze uncertainly. "They are... dead, aren't they?" she said, and he could see more clearly the wet sheen in her eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she brushed at it roughly, but more followed and she gave up.

Reno put an arm around her, since there wasn't really anyone else around to do the job. Vincent and Nanaki were both in the other room.

Yuffie made things so simple somehow, the redhead reflected, thinking over what she had said. She wasn't a complicated person to begin with-no deep dark secrets and no mysterious past-and she had a knack for summing up other people's problems in a few sentences, albeit without realizing it.

What was Aeris going to do? She didn't know, and neither did he. She didn't love him, and it wasn't his baby, so by all rights there was nothing in it for him if he stuck with her. But Aeris was different, and he was still hoping she'd come around eventually. Maybe it was a strange time to be optimistic about something, but Aeris was down for the count, so it was his turn for a change.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

If not from the very beginning, I decided from pretty early on who was going to die in the battle against Sephiroth. Actually, Cid was slated to die, too, but he managed to become Sephiroth's good deed for the day. Being a huge Cloud x Tifa fan, I was strongly tempted to change this and let Cloud live, but... there needed to be something irreparably lost here. Man, I feel bad doing that to Tifa though. At least they got to be together for a few days.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

This time when she woke, Sephiroth was sitting at her bedside. He said nothing, and for a long moment she just looked at him. Then she remembered that this was reality, and she sat up. Vincent and Nanaki were both awake, seated on the next bed. She met Vincent's gaze and hesitated, not sure what to say. He seemed to know what she wanted anyway, and rose to leave. Nanaki followed hesitantly.

Aeris looked back at Sephiroth and wondered what she could possibly say to him now. "How long have you been here?" she asked finally.

"Five hours now."

"I'm surprised I didn't have nightmares."

There followed a short silence.

"Cid is all right," Sephiroth said awkwardly. "Reeve asked me to heal him."

She could not hid her relief. "That's good. I... guess you couldn't do anything about Cloud or Barret though."

"Even I cannot bring back the dead."

Aeris pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Why did things have to turn out this way?" She frowned, and shook her head. "No, maybe that's selfish. The Planet's safe with Jenova and Meteor gone, and you're harmless now. Most of us survived that fight. But... I can't help feeling like it was the end of everything."

"It wasn't, not for you. You will move on in time."

"You think so? Is it just because Cloud is dead? You know, I never really thought you would, but I still wanted to believe that you'd stop when I asked you to. I kept hoping that I could say something to make you change. The Planet hoped so, too. But the Planet is naive sometimes. I should have known not to believe it."

Sephiroth said nothing.

"Maybe it's too soon, and things _will_ be all right. Maybe I'm just tired. But... Maybe it's deeper than that."

"Perhaps I am the problem. Once I am out of your sight, you will be able to forget me."

Aeris pulled back to lean against the headboard and really look at him again. "I'm not sure I'll be able to. I thought Reno could help, but I'm not so sure anymore. And then... there's the child."

Sephiroth seemed to come more awake at that. He lifted a hand and tentatively moved it towards her abdomen. When she made no objection, he laid it against her. "You're certain?"

"Yes. I can feel it now." She could, just barely, sense the new life taking hold inside her.

"You're pregnant... with my child." He shook his head slowly and withdrew his hand. "You still have time to change your mind. You can still get rid of it."

"I'm not going to."

"Why not?"

Aeris thought for a moment, trying to find the right words to express her reasons. "If Hojo hadn't stolen it, maybe I would have. But that made it different. You and I were brought up in laboratories, and this child would have been, too. Knowing that, I couldn't just kill it. I couldn't treat it like some abomination and dispose of it. So I thought I would raise it as best I could. It won't be normal or have a normal life, but maybe it can have a _happy_ life."

"That won't make up for any of the wrongs done to you," Sephiroth said.

"I know. But it will still mean something."

"I suppose that's true." He hesitated and dropped his gaze. "If you wish me to live... could I see it one day? This child of ours?"

"Yes," she consented, and the immediacy of her answer seemed to surprise him. "But don't think it will be for your sake. I don't want to bring up a child who's never known its father."

He frowned and looked away. "Perhaps it would rather not know."

"Do you... know about yours then?"

"Yes."

Aeris shook her head. "That's different, though. You won't hurt my child, so it won't grow to hate you."

Sephiroth did not look or sound convinced. "I suppose it is your decision what to tell it."

She found that she had nothing to say to that. And in truth, nothing more to say to him. He knew how she felt and why she had done what she had and what she was going to do now. What else could she say? She looked away from him to study the far wall.

"Aeris," he said to get her attention.

She looked back at him, and in his outstretched palm lay the Black Materia. She drew back from it instinctively. "What are you...?"

"I don't think that I should have this anymore. Take it."

She shook her head. "I don't want it."

"I am not asking that you keep it. Give it to someone else for safekeeping, but... I should not have this anymore."

She took it slowly, grimacing in distaste. This thing, _this_ he had used to call Meteor. This had nearly murdered the Planet. Aeris held it awkwardly in her hands, feeling tainted somehow.

"Do you still have the White Materia?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yes," she answered guardedly.

He shook his head slightly. "I am asking because I want to try fixing it."

"To make up for breaking it in the first place?" she said accusatorially.

"Most of my mistakes cannot be mended, but perhaps a small few can be. It will gain me nothing in your eyes, I know, but nevertheless I want to try."

Aeris met his gaze and at length decided that she would give it to him. Perhaps he could restore it. If not, what harm was there in giving him a thing already broken? She pulled the shards from her coat and handed them to him carefully. "Don't bother showing up just to bring it back to me. I'll see you again eventually."

He nodded, tucked the shards away, and another silence fell between them. This time, he seemed lost for words.

"Where are you going from here?" she asked.

"That is also your decision. I was only waiting here for your judgment."

"I didn't think you'd actually do as I asked," she said quietly.

"I will. There is nothing else for me to do. I cannot forget what I have done to you, and everything you have done in spite of it."

She looked away, frowning. "Don't tell me you're sorry."

"I won't. We are beyond apologies now. Even you could not possibly forgive me."

"No, I can't."

"Then what can I do?"

Aeris met his gaze, keeping her voice flat and steady. "You can rot."

He bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Then I will rot," he said indifferently. He stood smoothly and left the room.

She watched him leave, and once he had gone, she buried her head in her arms and shut her eyes. She hadn't wanted to feel anything at this moment. She had wanted to push him away without feeling like she would come to regret it. It was what he deserved. He deserved her hatred.

* * *

He was surprised to find Vincent waiting for him outside the inn. He was leaning against the wall, still wearing his tattered clothing, not seeming to mind the cold. He looked tired.

"What do you want of me?" Sephiroth asked.

"Only to talk," Vincent said, not bothering to look at him.

"What do we have to talk about?" the swordsman wondered. "I know about Hojo."

"I thought as much."

He folded his arms and waited.

"What do you know of your mother?"

"Lucrecia? Only that she was a fool to have married Hojo."

Vincent shook his head slightly. "Perhaps she was, perhaps she wasn't. Hojo was... saner, back then. The two of them shared a strong interest in Professor Gast's Jenova Project, although Lucrecia's reasons were different, I'm sure."

"And she was willing to become part of the experiment herself?"

"She said she wanted to, but I suspect Hojo persuaded her to do it. Once she agreed, she refused to turn back."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment. It reminded him too much of Aeris, stubbornly carrying a child she had only because he had forced himself on her, not because she wanted it. "Where do you fit in all of this?"

"I was the Turk assigned to Nibelheim for the duration of their stay."

"No, I mean... You were in love with her, weren't you?"

Vincent nodded. "I was."

"And she chose Hojo over you?"

"They were already engaged when I met her. She told me once that she liked him because he appreciated her for her intelligence rather than her beauty, unlike most men."

Sephiroth studied him carefully. "And you didn't?"

He shrugged. "I was a Turk."

"I see."

There was a pause.

"She was looking forward to your birth, looking forward to raising you. She had always liked children."

The swordsman frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I felt you should know, and I doubt I'll have another opportunity."

"...thank you."

Vincent glanced at him for the first time, then looked back at the town. "What did Aeris say?"

"She does not want me in her life. I am not surprised."

"I have been told that living in constant regret is punishment enough for wrongs committed."

Sephiroth shook his head. "Not for me, not with what I have done." When the ex-Turk did not reply, he turned away and strode for the gate. He felt disappointed, and he realized that he had been hoping Aeris would come running after him, asking him to stay.

He had to laugh at himself. No, no one would be shouting after him now, especially not _her_.

* * *

The door opened, startling her. It was Reno. "Hey, 'ris, everyone's... uh... Well, everyone's meeting in the next room over. They'll wait for you if you need a minute."

She blinked at him slowly, then realized that there were tears on her cheeks. She wondered when she had begun crying. She wiped her face on the blanket and brusquely got to her feet. "I'm fine," she said.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

"Where's Sephiroth?"

"He left."

Reno frowned. "You just let him go?"

"I didn't want him with me," she answered.

He studied her carefully. "You don't think that might be dangerous?"

"He won't do anything. Maybe he beat us, but he lost to himself. He doesn't have any reason to lash out anymore. He knows he can't prove anything."

"I guess you'd know him best," he said doubtfully.

She met his gaze. "Just trust me. He won't."

They entered the other room, and Aeris faltered in the doorway. Tifa was awake, sobbing with her hands clutched together in front of her face as though trying to hide her tears. Yuffie wasn't crying, but her eyes were red as though she had been. She glanced up when the door opened, smiled briefly, and looked back down. Nanaki lay beside her with his head and paws in her lap, and Vincent sat near them, expressionless. Cid was still lying down, though now he twisted to prop himself up on an elbow.

"Reeve just told Tifa about Cloud," Reno explained quietly.

"Maybe talking should wait," Aeris said.

Tifa looked up when she heard the Cetra's voice and pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs.

Aeris walked over to sit down beside her and lightly touched her shoulder. "Tifa, cry as long as you want. I can't promise you'll feel any better, but there's no point holding it in."

Tifa hesitated only an instant before throwing her arms around Aeris and sobbing into her shoulder. Aeris held her as close as she was able, painfully reminded of how many friends Tifa had lost, that she was the best one to do this now. It wasn't fair.

At length Tifa quieted and pulled away, face lowered. She hiccuped and wiped at her cheeks. "I... I'm sorry, Aeris. I just... I couldn't..."

"I know."

Tifa met her gaze briefly. "Thank you."

"So are we all ready now?" Reno asked, sitting down beside Aeris.

No one answered.

"I'll take that as a yes," the redhead muttered. He raised his voice. "The battle's over. We didn't really win, but the Planet's safe, from Meteor anyhow. Shinra's still around, more or less; I dunno how many of us are still up to fighting. Going home seems like a pretty good idea to me."

"Well, that's you," Yuffie stated. "I'm gonna keep fighting."

"Ya may be fightin' alone, kid," Cid told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I didn't expect an old fart like you to stick with it."

"I ain't old!" he protested. "You don't know what the fu-"

"Cid," Aeris interrupted, "take it easy. Yuffie, be nice. I know we're all tired, but let's try not to snap at each other."

"Sorry," Yuffie mumbled.

Cid scratched his head and looked down.

"Now," the Cetra went on, "maybe some of us are going to carry on fighting the Shinra, but it's doubtful _all_ of us will ever fight together again. Maybe this is the last time some of us will even see each other. Let's at least get some idea where we're going from here."

Yuffie spoke up first. "I already said I'm gonna keep fighting. But, I guess I'm headed home for a bit first. Will... Will anybody else be fighting?"

"I will," Vincent said quietly.

The ninja turned to him with a surprised smile. "Really?"

He nodded.

"Thanks."

Nanaki lifted his head to look up at her. "I'll join the fight as well."

She grinned and ruffled his mane. "Thanks, Red. I bet you wanna go home first, too, though, right?"

"Right."

"What about you, Vinny?"

Vincent hesitated. "May I accompany you to Wutai?"

"Of course."

"Then we will go back together."

"So, what are the rest of you doing?" Yuffie asked.

"I'm goin' home," Cid stated.

"To Shera?" the ninja prompted slyly.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Got a lot I have to tell her." He frowned, glancing briefly at Tifa, then away. "So, uh, Reeve, where're you goin'?"

"I don't really know," Reeve admitted. "I can't exactly go back to Shinra. I'd like to do something, but I'm no fighter."

"You can be our brains," Yuffie said brightly. "Vinny was a Turk, but all his insider info's thirty years out of date."

"You'd want my help?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Sure!"

"Then you'll have it," he decided firmly, smiling slightly. "I'm not bad at intel, though I'm no Turk." He glanced here at Reno.

"I've got no plans of stealing your spot any time soon," the redhead assured him. "I'm stickin' with Aeris."

"Where are you two going?"

Reno looked to Aeris, but she said nothing. "We don't really know yet. I've got an apartment in Junon, but Junon's not really the safest place to be with Shinra around."

"Hojo's dead," Aeris pointed out. "They won't be interested in me anymore."

"I know. But they might be interested in tracking me down. I don't think Rufus appreciated me turning on him like that."

"Maybe they won't bother with you."

He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I guess we'll find out."

Aeris nodded. With Hojo gone, there was nothing about Shinra that really frightened her. She was sure they'd be all right. She couldn't say she liked Junon-it was too much like Midgar-but it wasn't quite so large and old and harsh. It still retained some of its initial optimism, and she would be able to see the sky.

All eyes slowly came to focus on Tifa. She was the only one who hadn't voiced her plans, and the one with the least to go back to.

"So where are you going, Tifa?" Nanaki asked finally, managing to voice the question without the weight of its complications.

Tifa hesitated, staring at her lap. Aeris was surprised to notice that she was still crying, a slow and silent stream of tears down her cheeks. When she spoke, it was carefully, to make sure her voice didn't crack. "I guess I'll... Well, someone has to take care of Marlene." She lifted her head to nod at Aeris. "She can't stay with your mom forever, and she knows me best. So I guess I'll take care of her."

"But where are you going?" Aeris asked quietly.

"...Mideel."

"Mideel?" Cid repeated quizzically.

"Yeah," Tifa said simply, seeming reluctant to explain.

Yuffie nodded as if she understood. "Mideel's a good place to go. It's so... untouched. I think I would've liked to grow up in a place like that."

Aeris's memories of Mideel itself were hazy, overpowered by the deep weariness she had felt during their stay there. She couldn't recall what the town had been like, but she did remember that the Planet's voice there had seemed crystal clear. She could understand why Yuffie called it untouched. It probably would be a good place to grow up, and she hoped it would be a good place for Tifa to move on.

"I guess that takes care of the gist of it," Reno said. "We've all got a PHS, we can keep in touch."

"That just leaves one thing," Reeve said quietly. "Cloud and Barret. Where should we bury them?"

"Barret... ought to be buried at North Corel," Tifa decided.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and then there was an awkward silence. Burying Cloud at _his_ hometown was out of the question. The current Nibelheim was a replica, a lie. It wasn't the home he'd grown up with.

Reno nudged her. "Aeris, what about...?"

She started. "Oh. Right, my..." She stopped, realizing the others wouldn't know what she was talking about. "There's a church in Sector 5 that I used to visit," she said. "Would that be all right?"

"A church?" Tifa repeated, as if she had never heard of such a thing.

Aeris nodded. "It's a beautiful place, for being in Midgar. Flowers grow there, and I could hear the Planet's voice."

"It sounds fine."

"So when're we leavin'?" Cid asked.

"Tomorrow," Aeris said. "Maybe the day after. We all need another day or two to rest." When the others murmured their agreement, she got to her feet and headed for the door. Reno followed her.

"Where are you going?" he asked once they were out in the hall. He stood behind her, and she did not turn to face him.

"I don't know," she answered. "Outside. I keep thinking... that he's waiting for me at the gate, but I know he's not."

Reno's tone grew serious, much more so than she was used to hearing. "Tell me honestly now: do you love him?"

She studied the door across the hall. "Maybe. I think so. But at the same time, I do hate him. Things could have been so different, but this is how it's all turned out. I wonder sometimes, what would have happened if I had died like I was supposed to?"

"If you had died, maybe none of the rest of us would be here either."

"Hm. But, maybe he wouldn't have fought so hard to prove himself. Maybe you could have beaten him."

"Not me. I wouldn't have been with you."

Aeris finally turned to look up at him. "So you really only left Shinra for my sake?"

"It just seemed like a good excuse."

"That's what I thought." Aeris dropped her gaze from his face. "You know what I want?" she asked quietly, talking half to herself. "I want to go to sleep, but not because I'm tired. I just want to close my eyes and not be here. Or maybe go to sleep and then, when I wake up, find that all this has long passed, and I'm fine again. I don't want to be here, in this moment."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yes. Cloud's dead. Sephiroth left. We're disbanding. I'm pregnant. What's good about now?"

"I'm still here," Reno offered. "I'm pretty sure you don't hate me or anything."

Aeris smiled tentatively. "No. No, I don't hate you at all. Quite the opposite. It's just that..."

"You don't love me."

Her smile faded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, 'ris. It's still early in the game; you might change your mind. But you know, I know there are better guys than me. And Sephiroth's not one of 'em. I think that's what bothers me."

"It bothers me, too."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

One more chapter.


	28. Afterwards

**Afterwards**

There were nicer bars in Junon than this one. They catered to the high class citizens that supposedly lived there, with sleek designs and cool lighting. Their tables and counters were spotless, service was impeccable, and classy music played in the background. Reno had been to a few with Tseng, but he didn't care for them. You didn't go to those places to get drunk, you went to socialize or have fun. Reno nearly always went to bars to get drunk.

This bar was one he'd frequented back when he had worked for Shinra. Now, with Aeris, he'd made an effort not to get himself completely stoned every night. He hadn't thought she'd appreciate that. But he still came here on occasion, for the dim lighting and heavy atmosphere. The old television on the counter showed Shinra's news channel, but the reception was lousy and the volume turned low. By turns angry or mournful music played in the background. People talked over it, rowdy, drunk, and apathetic.

He was only on his second beer, but Reno was starting to feel like he ought to be headed home. He had no real desire to be here, but then again, he didn't feel like seeing Aeris just yet. Two months had passed since that final battle, but some days she wasn't much different than she had been then. Her pregnancy had started to show, and lately she'd been growing more and more pensive. It made Reno think a lot, too, and he wasn't sure if he appreciated it.

The television briefly caught his attention when the newscaster said something about an attack in Midgar earlier that day. It made him smile a little. A couple weeks after Meteor had been wiped out, reports had started popping up about a terrorist faction hanging around Midgar. People speculated on whether this was Avalanche again or a new group, but Reno knew it was Yuffie's gang. She'd called a few times, to ask after Aeris and tell them how things were going. She'd picked up a few new members recently, something the she was very proud of.

It was reassuring to see someone fighting Shinra, and gaining support. Maybe they'd win soon, and Shinra would be gone. Hell, he was even starting to get optimistic about it.

But what he was really hoping for was some way to cheer Aeris up, to get her back on her feet, to win her over. That, however, was not something he was optimistic about these days.

He glanced up when someone sat down near him, looked back at his beer, and then looked up again, startled. "Sephiroth?"

The bastard didn't reply.

"What the hell're _you_ doing here?"

"She told me to rot," Sephiroth answered. "This seemed as good a place as any."

"Didn't she tell you she didn't want you around? Hell, there are plenty of other bars. Go back to Midgar, _that_'s a good place to waste away."

"I have been in Midgar. I was beginning to get used to it, so I thought it time I moved on."

"But, fuck, why Junon?"

The bastard shrugged. "I did not know that you and Aeris were here. I will leave shortly."

"Why not leave now? Or do you wanna get yourself drunk first?"

"I can't."

"Huh?"

"Get drunk."

"Oh. Well, that sucks."

Sephiroth nodded slightly.

"Not that I'm sympathizing or anything."

"Of course." Still the bastard didn't move. He just sat where he was, slumped over the counter, staring sightlessly at the stained wood.

"Okay, seriously, why aren't you leaving?"

"I... I feel as though there is something I ought to be saying to you."

Reno snorted. "What, like an apology?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "Apologies are worthless. I just... How is Aeris anyway?"

"Why should you care?"

"Even I have emotions," the bastard said, something like sadness creeping into his voice. "That is part of what makes me such a monster."

The redhead frowned. "Yeah, I know. But you can't do anything for her even if I tell you how she is."

"Then I take it she still has not recovered."

"...no, she hasn't."

"Even with you to help her?"

Reno hesitated, surprised that he wanted to answer honestly. Maybe it was Sephiroth's manner, the way he seemed detached from everything. Like some kind of ghost, just drifting through. "There's only so much I can do if she won't let me help her," he said.

"She should know better," Sephiroth said quietly. "She told me once that I could be healed if I only wanted it."

"She wants it. That's not the problem."

"Then why doesn't she accept your help?"

Reno shook his head. "I don't know. She told me she wasn't ready for me. That's why she's not my girl anymore. 'course, she was never really serious about it. She's still not over you, I guess."

Sephiroth slowly lifted his head to look at the redhead. "Over me?"

He looked back at the bastard, incredulous at the incomprehension he saw there. "Fuck, don't tell me you didn't notice. You're not a complete idiot."

Sephiroth looked back at the counter, shaking his head. "I knew she cared. That was obvious. But, how could she possibly...?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Is that why she was crying when I left? Is that why she kept the child?"

Reno shook his head. "Maybe. She has a lot of reasons for keeping it."

The bastard slid back into his slumped position. "How is her pregnancy coming?"

"I guess it's a little more than two months now. She seems okay, but she won't see any doctors. Can't say I blame her."

"It still amazes me that she went back to Hojo."

Reno didn't know quite what to say to that. He remembered that Hojo was Sephiroth's father, but had no idea if anyone had told him. "If she was scared, she did a good job of hiding it."

"I don't think you realize what it meant for her. I once threatened to hand her over to Hojo, and she said she would rather remain with me. She feared him far more than me."

"Was that before or after you raped her?" Reno asked suddenly, sharply.

Sephiroth answered without hesitation. "Before."

"I figured as much."

The bastard said nothing for a moment. Then he slid out of the stool and turned away. "I am going now. Don't mention this to Aeris."

"Why would I? It's not like you said anything memorable."

He looked back to meet Reno's gaze. "Just mention that I was here. She won't want to hear about me."

Reno shrugged. "I won't say anything."

Sephiroth nodded, satisfied. "Goodbye then."

"Hope we don't meet again. Have a shitty life."

The bastard laughed, a curt and bitter sound, and left the bar.

Reno watched him go with a frown and then returned to his drink. Sephiroth had seemed pretty dejected, but it hadn't given the redhead the satisfaction he would have liked. Maybe he'd have preferred a more violent punishment.

Or maybe it bothered him because there'd been something in Sephiroth's manner akin to what Aeris was going through.

He grimaced, downed the last of his beer, and got to his feet. He didn't want to stick around here any longer. It was about time he got back to Aeris. Even if she was already asleep, he could at least be there in case she woke with a nightmare. At least she was having fewer of those lately.

Reno stepped out of the bar and cursed; it was raining. It had been raining a lot recently, and he was getting pretty sick of it. The rain made the city seem more like Midgar, dreary and depressing Midgar. Junon was supposed to have nice weather, with the sort of rain good for kissing in. Maybe it was just his mood that made it seem so shitty.

He didn't have an umbrella, and he didn't bother with any make-do attempts at shielding himself from the downpour. He just walked a little faster, knowing he'd be soaked by the time he made it back to his apartment.

"Just my luck," he muttered, and walked on.

He felt no relief on reaching his apartment building. He took the stairs up to his floor, unlocked his door, and stepped inside without calling out a hello. He kicked off his shoes and was starting to shrug out of his jacket when Aeris walked into the room.

"You're still up," he said with some surprise.

"Oh, you're soaked," she said, ignoring his remark. She took his jacket to hang it up. "You should've taken an umbrella."

"You know I don't think ahead like that, 'ris."

"Don't give me that." She turned back to him. "And you could've come home earlier. It wasn't raining so hard an hour ago."

"Sorry. Did you miss me?"

"Yes," she admitted. "Now go change into some dry clothes before you drip all over everything."

Reno did as she wanted, heading into the bedroom they now shared and stripping bare. He returned to the living room in a dry pair of pants to find her settling down on the couch. He sat down next to her.

"So what's on your mind?" he asked.

She looked sheepish. "Is it that obvious?"

"You just have that look on your face like you wanna talk about something."

Aeris shook her head. "I don't think you'll want to hear it. It's just the same as always."

"Oh." He resituated himself on the couch. "Well, you might as well get it off your chest. Might help you think about it less, and that's in my best interest in the end."

She nodded, and after a few moments she did start speaking.

"It's just strange," she said. "Sometimes, I almost think I'd like to see him again. Something will remind me of something he did or said, the nicer things I mean, and I'll stop to remember it. They were moments only, but... Sometimes I'd think, maybe he's not such a bad person after all." She paused and laid a hand on her abdomen. "But it's so much easier to remember everything else he did to me. And I hate that."

Reno frowned, but couldn't think of any consolation. "What would you do if you did see him again?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'd kiss him, or maybe I'd stab him. More likely I'd just stand there dumbstruck. I wouldn't know what to say to him. I used to want to know him, to understand him completely, but now I'm not sure I could handle it."

He did not reply, and she said nothing further. They sat silently while the minutes passed and the rain pounded outside.

"You know," Reno began quietly, "I wasn't going to say anything, but... I saw Sephiroth today."

Aeris looked up, startled and even a little eager. "You did?"

He nodded.

"He's here in Junon?"

"Just passing through."

Something in her faded. "Oh. Did you talk to him?"

"A little."

"What did he say?"

"Not much. He asked about you, and I told him. He seemed pretty apathetic otherwise."

"That doesn't surprise me."

Reno waited, wondering if she was going to go on. It seemed like it.

At length she just got to her feet and said she was going to bed. He listened to her footsteps towards the bedroom and the sound of the door shutting softly. Then he sighed and reached for the TV remote.

* * *

It had been easy enough to follow the redhead home without him knowing it. Anything more presented something of a problem. On reaching the front entrance to the apartment building, he had hesitated, and chosen not to enter. Now he stood leaning against the brick wall under the overhang of the building, wondering whether or not he would actually go inside.

He had thought that Aeris would not want to see him ever again. After all that he had done to her, it was the only thing that made sense. How could she want to see him? Save for that one meeting she had granted him for their child's sake, Sephiroth had resigned himself to never seeing her again.

But Reno had said that she had loved him, and that perhaps she still did. What was he supposed to make of that? Could she possibly want to see him in spite of everything? She could not forgive him, he knew that, and so how could she even tolerate his presence without being able to forgive him? How could she still love him? How could she ever have loved him at all? He was less than worthless, and yet somehow she had found something in him worth falling in love with.

He had never understood her, and therein lay the problem. He had no idea whether or not she would want to see him again.

Sephiroth knew his feelings on the matter. After that moment in the crater, everything had changed and he had given up any hope of repressing them. He wanted to see her.

But she had told him to rot.

So had she meant it or not? Was that what she really wanted for him, or was it only what she thought he deserved? Was she willing to give him yet another chance, or had he run out of them? Would seeing him be too painful for her? Was he willing to risk causing her pain just to find out?

He had never been this confused in his life.

He straightened and began to pace. No longer beneath the overhang, the rain pelted him full force. He let it slide over him, ignoring it. The rain was not important.

He had raped her. He had killed countless people, including two of her dearest friends. He had nearly destroyed her Planet. She could not possibly be willing to grant him any chances after all that. She had been willing before the battle, but afterwards was a different story.

But he had changed for her, hadn't he? He had given it up, at the last moment, he had done what she wanted. He had defeated Jenova and released Holy to undo what he had done. He had helped her and her friends escape.

He knew none of that was enough. _He_ had released Jenova, _he_ had summoned Meteor, _he_ had struck down her friends when they came to stop him. Nothing he had done in the end made up for setting those events in motion. And that was hardly all that he had done in the course of his life. For so long, she had been willing to forgive him if he changed for her, but he had gone too far. When she had tried to reason with him one final time, he had chosen to ignore her. Perhaps in the end he had finally done as she wanted, but he had been right: it had been too late.

Sephiroth stopped pacing and looked down the deserted street. Perhaps it was time he left. If she did not want to see him, she did not want to see him. He should go. She had told him to rot. That was what he was supposed to be doing.

He stared down the street, trying to will himself to move in that direction. There was no point in staying. She would not want to see him. _Go. Just go. Get out of here. Leave her be._

Yet he could not seem to take one step down that street. He sighed and sank down onto the curb, watching the water rush around his feet to a nearby storm drain. He wanted to see her, and she was here in this building. How could he force himself to leave when she was so close by?

So what would he say when he saw her? Would he try to apologize? Beg her forgiveness? The words would be useless. He was unforgivable.

Why hadn't he let her persuade him sooner? Why hadn't he given in back when she had first asked it of him? He had been a fool to think that he could deaden his emotions when she had captivated his curiosity for so long. He had had so many opportunities to kill her; why hadn't he realized that he already had some sort of attachment to her?

The rain let up perhaps an hour before dawn. Sephiroth continued to wait. He watched the sky grow lighter and the city begin to stir. At length he rose and turned into the building.

He found the apartment number from the mailboxes in the entryway, and strode for the stairs. His purposeful gait slowed when he neared Reno's apartment, and he came to a stop in front of the door. He could turn back now. He could change his mind and go. But he did not want to. He pressed the buzzer, half-hoping that no one would answer.

But within seconds he heard muffled voices inside-first Reno saying something, and then Aeris calling back, "I'll get it."

Sephiroth took a step back from the door and glanced down the hall, but the door opened before he could change his mind, and there stood Aeris, staring.

Her hair was growing out again, curling gently around her ears and past her neck. She wore a dark grey dress, and he found himself disappointed by it. She had always looked best in bright colors, not this drab thing that seemed to drain the color from her eyes. Beneath the dress, he could just make out a softening of her belly, a feature that would be meaningless and invisible to someone who had not known her before, who hadn't known the feeling of running their hands over her naked body.

She looked tired, but not from lack of sleep, and beyond that he could not read her expression. That worried him; he had always been able to read her.

"What are you doing here?" Aeris asked guardedly.

"If you don't want to see me, I will leave," he told her.

She shook her head and said sharply, "Answer the question. Why are you here?"

"I learned you were here, and I could not stop myself from coming. I wanted to see you."

Surprise softened her features for an instant, and then she frowned, almost suspiciously. "Is that really why you came?"

"Yes."

"Well, you've seen me."

Sephiroth nodded. "Then you don't feel the same. I will go." He turned away, disappointed but not at all surprised.

"Wait," she said softly. "Wait, I didn't say that."

He stopped and turned back, hopefully.

Aeris frowned, as though she had not meant to say anything. A moment passed before she spoke again. "I won't deny that I've missed you. Gods damn me for it, I missed you. But now that you're here, what is there to say? You'll leave again; there's no stopping it."

"I would stay if you asked me."

"You know I won't. We can't be together. It wouldn't work."

"Why not?" he dared to ask.

"You know why," she stated coldly.

Yes, he knew. He knew, but... "Am I really out of chances? I know it doesn't make any sense. I know you can't forgive me. But, if you missed me... Surely that means something."

"That I can't forget you? All right, I can't. But it doesn't mean that I'm willing to give you another chance. You don't deserve it."

"And what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You deserve whatever you want."

Her voice grew angry. "Oh, so I should take you back because I deserve it, and never mind the fact that you'll get off easy?"

Sephiroth held her gaze and did not flinch. "I know that even with Reno at your side, you are not recovering. I would almost prefer it if you cared for another man, but that isn't how it has turned out. You should not punish yourself just to make certain that I serve my punishment."

"Stop it," Aeris snapped. "You know I can't give you another chance."

"You know it wouldn't be the same as before," he replied steadily.

"Because you've changed? You think that makes a difference?"

"It would have been enough before."

"Before, yes. Before you raped me. Before you killed Cloud. Then, it would have made me happy. I would have gladly been yours. But this isn't before. It's too late now."

"Is it? Or are you just telling yourself that?" He wished he could take the words back the moment they were out of his mouth. It was not fair of him to ask her that. He had no right.

Her frown deepened. "If you mean to imply that I don't want this and that I'm making a mistake, maybe you're right. But it's only my life at stake, and it's my decision."

Sephiroth shook his head and plowed onward. "But you haven't been able to move forward. If I can help you, why won't you let me try?"

She faltered at that. "I don't know. I can't see how it would work."

"I know that I've never helped anyone, but perhaps for you I can manage it. I want to atone for what I did to you."

"You can't do that. You can't erase what you've done."

He nodded, acknowledging it, and waited, hoping. He wanted her to agree. He wanted to prove to her, and to himself, that she had not wasted her compassion. More than anything, he wanted to see her smiling at him again, like she had before he had ruined everything. He had never wanted anything like this before. And he did not deserve her, he had no right to be here asking for this, but he prayed to whatever power might listen that she would give him just one more chance.

"Two months," she said at last, her tone brusque. "That's how long I've gone without you, so that's how long you'll have to prove you're worth the pain you've caused me. I don't think Reno could be persuaded to let you stay here, so you'll have to figure that part out on your own. You can sleep on the couch tonight, but beyond that, I can't guarantee anything."

He stared at her openly. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm not going to repeat myself." She turned around and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open.

Sephiroth stood rooted to the spot. He hadn't really expected her to agree. He had expected her to turn him away, and to leave this place with that heavy disappointment settling in his gut. He did not deserve it, and she had always been stubborn.

But she had granted him another chance. Two months was more than he could have hoped for. Two months meant that maybe he had time enough to make her smile again. Two months meant that she really did want him near her, in spite of everything. She had just felt constrained by morality, which dictated that he did not deserve her, even if she wanted him.

He still could not believe it. No one had ever given him second chances, much less third. Except Aeris.

Sephiroth hesitantly followed her inside and shut the door behind him.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

THE END.

To be honest, after editing this whole thing, I'm rooting for Reno. As the story continues in my head, Aeris and Sephiroth reconcile, they come to terms with what happened, maybe they even try being together... but ultimately they part as friends. The chance for anything deeper has passed. And so, after she's dealt with that part of her life that Sephiroth played such a huge role in, Aeris is able to move on with Reno. At least, that's how I'm seeing it now. I didn't write any of that, so I leave it up to you all what happens next.

Thanks to those who read this through. I know there's plenty of room for improvement, but I hope it was worth reading.

**Update 2011-04-15:** Actually, I did wind up writing more, thanks to a commission. If you want to read it, head on over to my website.


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